Darkness Spreading
by Alvita
Summary: Demons are rising and the Angels are falling in droves under their attacks. Keaira is born of light and darkness, working closely with Sam and Dean to prevent the ascent of the Demons but when her heritage comes to light things escalate beyond her control
1. Broken restraints

_Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or Supernatural and no matter how I wish I did it will never be so. I do own Keaira. She is mine... She has a Witch for a mother and a Demon for a father; hence being born of light and darkness. _

_A/N This is a crossover of Charmed and Supernatural; two of my favourite shows. Please write a review. Your comments are always appreciated and I really would like some constructive criticism as I am always looking to improve my writing._

Darkness had been slowly seeping into our world; hard to notice at first, but getting clearer by the day. As a good friend once told me, there are hundreds of seals and she has to break only 66 of them. It is near impossible to stop her; she could be anywhere attempting to break a seal. She could be a little girl or just an ordinary person. He grows stronger every day. His powers grow and his form strengthens. Soon Lucifer will again walk the Earth in his true form, bringing about eternal darkness and despair. The gates of Hell will open and demons will cause chaos and destruction. That is what I've seen but I know better than anyone that the future isn't set in stone though this future seems clearer and more certain. There is still time to change the outcome. Only a special few, who know about the risks, can change the future for the better. 'United we stand, Divided we fall.' Divided is what we are at the moment, it is crucial we work together. It is my fault on some part and Dean's on another. I can't help being who I am. I cannot change what is within my blood. It started soon after meeting Castiel in human form, when everything became more serious.

We were sitting in the back end motel that they happened to be staying in. We had just vanquished another demon, which was rampaging around the city of Manhattan. When I say we, I mean me. He was a powerful little thing; a mini beast with horns in his true form, which flickered in my sight as he grew angrier. The others saw him as the human he was possessing. He was just an ordinary man. Glimpses of his pasts came to me and caught me off guard. He had a wife and 2 children, all killed when the demon attacked and took over his body. I searched to see if a glimmer of the man's soul was still there but found there was none. None of the white magic I could control would kill him short of using potions. He was too strong for that and he had caught us unaware in the alleyway while we were tracking him.

Whilst trying to fight him off, I got knocked back hard against the cold stone wall, I was knocked unconscious. By the time I came to, Sam, Dean and the Demon were gone but they had left behind a lot of blood. I took in the scene around me as my vision cleared. I slowly got up to prevent myself from falling by getting up too quickly.

Suddenly a blood curdling scream ripped through the evening air. I ran towards the source of the noise. I ran along the cold wet pavement, avoiding the people of the night life. As I grew nearer to the source, I saw an uneven blood dripped trail showing me the way like breadcrumbs. I walked through the dark damp tunnel with the sounds of my uneven breathing accompanying me. Fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins as I walked slowly through the dark tunnel. Soon they came into my line of sight. They were beaten quite badly. The demon had a few shot wounds yet no blood poured from his wounds, confirming my suspicion of the body being dead for a while.

Sam lay on the floor, blood gushing out of the deep cut upon his right shoulder. Dean was still fighting, giving the demon all he could. He shot at him with rock salt but it did nothing but anger the beast. They did not notice me as I approached them. I stood before them thinking of the countless victims the beast had claimed and my hate for him grew. Scenes of their final hour flashed before me and all the fear and pain they felt hit me hard. He caused too much pain and suffering and didn't deserve to still be standing. I had never felt that much hate towards a creature. Instinctively I raised my hand and threw a raging fireball at him. He burst into flames and became ash, taking the soulless body with him. I stood there confused. I had never done something like that before.

I had succumbed to my demonic half. The half I spent all my life suppressing and controlling. Letting it take over could cause terrible things and me losing myself in the process. That barrier was shattered in a few seconds. Sam and Dean stared at me in disbelief; they had never seen something like that before. Dean had a look of pure mistrust and looked at me like I was a monster.

Before they had a chance to say anything, I ran through the tunnel and orbed to the motel to collect my bag. I couldn't find athame or my protective neck charm that always hung on my neck. I felt bare without it, I didn't need it but it felt nice and reassuring. I wasn't sure whether I had lost it when I was knocked out or in the room but I knew I had left my athame. I spent 10 minutes looking for it before they had come bursting through the door. I was surprised they had managed to get there so fast considering they were badly wounded. They were angry, very angry and the waves of their anger hit me at full force, it was almost as bad as the overload of hatred.

"What the hell was that?" shouted Dean.

Sam tried to calm him down whilst I tried to explain myself but he wouldn't listen, he saw me as being bad as the demons. Maybe if I had told them about my demonic half before hand then the blow may have been softened and they wouldn't be as angry as they are now.

To make matters worse Castiel came along to have a go at me, like I wasn't getting enough grief. He gave me a lecture on how it was wrong and how I was unnatural like I didn't already know that. They were acting like I had double-crossed them and I couldn't be trusted. They were so busy arguing and shouting at me that they didn't realise that Sam was bleeding excessively. The dull numb of pain coming from Sam soon became a shearing stab as he fell to the floor unconscious unable to handle the pain anymore.

His injuries must have been more serious then what we could see. All the while Castiel and Dean didn't notice what was happening behind them. Ignoring their ongoing comments, I ran over to Sam as he was falling on the floor. Silence accompanied his groans of pain as he hit the hard floor. They just stood and stared in shocked for what seemed hours but in reality couldn't have been more than a few minutes. As he lay on the floor, I knelt down and felt his arm; it was very cold and clammy. I peeled his jacket off and examined his wound. I looked at his shoulder and saw that he had lost a lot of blood which had drenched his shirt. He was going into shock; my only thought was to heal him. Light glows from my hand illuminating his shoulders and closing his wound. He regained the colour in his cheeks and skin, whilst I was looking over his recovery someone dragged me up.

"Get away from him", shouted Dean, whose arm was wrapped tightly around my wrist. I was in shock at his rough behaviour and hard words. He released me and I slowly walked away from him, keeping my eyes on Sam, who was still lying on the floor with his eyes closed. Castiel just stood and watched like a cold, hard statue. It seemed to me that not one shred of humanity existed in his being. It was as though I was being considered the inhumane one. Dean pushed me against the wall and shouted at me.

"You are not human, Keaira. You are one of them, as bad as them. You are playing with fire and soon you will get burnt, hurting the people around you. You will turn into one of them as you can't control the demon blood inside you. I won't let you hurt him, I will kill you first." His words cut through me like a knife and deep down I believed him, I would turn. It was becoming harder and harder to control my darker side as the world was growing more polluted with evil. My dark blood called to join the demons. I was losing control and myself in the process. I should be locked away where I could do no hard to my close ones. Before he could say anything else, I orbed back to my flat where I was isolated and could do no harm.

******


	2. Home Again

I loved my home, full of the things I loved and defined me: my guitar sitting in the corner upon its stand, shelves surrounding it, full of my favourite books. My blood red laptop sat upon my desk in the study, inviting me into its loving warmth. Even though my heart filled with dread with what was going to happen, I was glad to be home after being on the road for so long: my mind drifted to the reason why I left.

I had overheard an argument between Castiel and another unknown angel, talking about an opening of another gate and the breaking of a seal being planned. They seemed to be fighting and the unknown angel's voice sounded familiar, like a sound within a dream. I hadn't thought about the question of his identity at the time, only of making sure the gate wasn't open and the seal was unbroken. The question of his identity played on my mind, distracting me for a moment of the problem of my self control. I felt a stabbing pain as the dark tried to take advantage of my distraction. I quickly suppressed it and grew angry at myself for not being strong enough. I needed to take my anger out on something; I was too unstable to hunt demons so I opted for beating up a punch bag, imaging the face of my unknown demonic father with every punch, feeling my life to be cursed.

After working up a sweat, I rushed into the shower to clean myself, scrubbing myself raw, hoping to get rid of my tainted skin. I changed into my favourite white tank top and my comfy grey tracksuit trousers, putting on my soft bathrobe on top and settling on the sofa to watch TV. I tried to pretend like nothing else in the world mattered. I looked at the clock and saw it was almost sunrise. I couldn't sleep so I settled to watch some good TV that I hadn't been able to see when demon hunting. I was starting to get into an old episode of Bones when I was rudely interrupted by none other than Castiel.

I tried ignoring him as I seriously couldn't control myself; I needed to calm down but him just not saying anything and waltzing into my home was making my blood boil. I physically began burning up and I had to remove my bathrobe for fear of fainting. The air of superiority around him fuelled my rage. I tried concentrating on my breathing and the screen ahead of me; I was close to snapping and demanding an explanation of him. I paused the show and turned around and then he finally spoke.

"Someone needs your help." Silence engulfed the air. I didn't know what to say, he knew I couldn't be controlled. I shouldn't be allowed out.

"They are after him. It is up to you whether you go out and protect him. If they get him, they would have a strong advantage over us. You choose whether he lives or dies at our hands."

I wasn't sure at what he was suggesting or his reasoning behind it. I couldn't be let out, I couldn't be trusted. I might give in and choose their side. But someone's life was in danger; I couldn't let them die because of my selfish reasons.

Whilst I was debating with myself, Castiel had disappeared. I got up and began pacing around the rooms, thinking. I barely registered as the room got darker around me. I suddenly couldn't breathe. My mind was going blank; I found it hard to focus on anything. I couldn't even think of how bad that situation could have been if I had been in a public place.

Suddenly a shadow emerged from the dark clouds and slowly approached me. Even in my dazed state, I could feel the evil radiating off him, filling the room and feeding the dark clouds that where blocking the morning sun. I slowly walked back and sought comfort in the solid security of the wall. I was cornered, I was confused, I could barely think straight. I didn't want to look at the shadow that held so much power over me but I couldn't turn my head away. I couldn't move. Panic gripped me. I didn't like being weak and trapped. It scared me to the core of my being. I felt weaker by the second, my legs were having trouble holding me up, my knees felt as though they were buckling beneath me but they didn't. I knew who was keeping me up and looking at it. I feared its power. The shadow soon became more defined, showing a shape of a human and then a man. He soon was too close for comfort. He finally stopped inches away from my face. He stared at me like examining goods at the market. His look made me shiver. I couldn't bring myself to think let alone to speak. He spoke one word, "Perfect", his voice was familiar but the thought was lost before I could grip on to it. I was having difficulty breathing; I was feeling dizzy and faint. His hand touched my shoulder, his touch burned but the pains soon faded into nothing as my brain didn't register it. His thumb traced a pattern on my shoulder. I was scared stiff and couldn't physically move, mentally my mind was scattered. Suddenly his thumb moved from my shoulder to my lips and before I could register what was happening he kissed me. It felt like boiling liquid burning my lips and throat, spreading around my body causing a lot of pain. My mind and body couldn't take it anymore and I collapsed.

***************************************************************************


	3. All is Forgiven but not Forgotten

I woke up to see Dean staring straight at me. I was still lying on the floor against the wall. My mind was still a bit hazy as I sat up. I rubbed my eyes and looked again, checking to see if it was really Dean who was there.

"You left these behind", he said with a hint of a smile as he showed me my athame and necklace. It seems any dispute we had had dissolved into nothing but I remembered his warning and knew he would follow it through if he had to and I respected him for that. I saw Sam standing behind him, he had recovered well. He smiled as he saw me catch his eyes. Dean stood back from me to allow me more air. I tried to get up but did so too fast and almost fell to the ground. Dean tried to grab my arm but as he did so pain shoot all through my body causing me to fall. His touch burned me and mine seemed to burn him also as he let go. Even though his touch was gone the pain still filled my body causing me to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming out. I wondered why his touch hurt so much. Was it my fault or his or maybe it was the shadow? Then everything seemed to snap into focus and I remembered the shadow and recognised his voice of that of the unknown angel. Only one being could tell me who he was, Castiel.

"What happened? Why did you hurt me? Why were you on the floor? God, you burnt my palm... What is that weird pattern on your shoulder? ", demanded Dean. I was speechless as I looked at my shoulder and saw a weird pattern glowing deep red and cooling to a dark black. I didn't know what it was but I knew that it couldn't be good. It had to have something to do with the pain I felt when Dean touched me. So many questions swam through my mind and I had no answers, it was unlike anything I've ever seen or read about.

"It is the symbol of Lucifer." The voice came from none other than Castiel. I was in shock at his words. It wasn't possible, how could that be so? What did the symbol mean? Why was it put on me? He seemed reluctant to speak let alone share anymore information.

"Who was the shadow? And don't say you don't know as I know you have spoken to him... it before", I asked. For once, he was the one stunned into silence. I wondered whether he would actually give me a straight answer. Could it be possible that the shadow was Lucifer? But that would mean that the 'angel' Castiel was arguing with was Lucifer. I pondered on that thought for a moment, it seemed implausible.

"Your guess is correct." He said. It always caught me by surprise, his ability to read minds especially mine. He is the only other being I know that has that ability. Now I know how others feel around me. Fear engulfed me, if the shadow was Lucifer that would mean he was getting stronger faster than we originally anticipated. We were running out of time. What did the symbol mean? Why did he put it on me? Sam and Dean stood by the shelves shocked and speechless. I don't blame them; the situation had got a lot worse. Lucifer is stronger than we originally thought. The war before felt so separate as we had not encountered any major threats on our home turf. His presence has brought this to home. He knows where I live. My safe protected home was exposed to the world of dark magic. No place was safe anymore; things had gotten a lot more dangerous. A silky voice disturbed my web of thoughts.

"No being magical or otherwise can touch you", the words 'except Lucifer' hung in the air.

"The mark is magically binding and there is no known way of getting it off without Lucifer", Castiel explained. The words just wouldn't sink in. I couldn't believe what he was saying; I needed to prove it for myself. I was angry at myself for putting myself in that situation. I needed to release some of that anger. I ran into my room and got out a map and my crystal and started scrying for evil. I needed to blow something up and would rather destroy a demon than material possessions. I found a place not too far from my home with a demon lurking about in the shadows.

I walked through the living room pass Sam and Dean, who were talking. I didn't bothering picking up my athame or the potions lying on the table as I wanted to kill it without help, to release some anger. Castiel was nowhere in sight as I left the flat and walked into the hallway. I took the lift down and went to my car. It had been months since I had last been behind the wheel as I had been too dependent on my orbing power recently. Driving gave me a chance to think about things. The situation was becoming increasingly difficult and I could see no way out; each path leads to the same destination, of disaster and chaos. I was driving on autopilot as I navigated through the roads during the early morn. I reached the place where the demon supposedly was and used my senses to find his exact location. I parked my car and got out.

The sounds of screams and struggling confirmed its location, as I carefully walked in that direction. Two girls were trying to fend off the demon, one of the girls was a witch and she was using her powers to protect her friend. The demon was too powerful for her and her attempts to vanquish him barely stunted his attacks. I waved him against the brick wall and urged the girls to go home. They did so without little discussion. By this time the demon was getting up and recovering from the hit against the wall. We stood face to face, I waited for his attack. I didn't want to attack with no cause and I had time. He stood with so much confidence and a smug look on his face; I merely returned his look with equal confidence. He produced a fireball ready to throw at my direction, hoping to get a reaction from me. He was soon disappointed by my lack of reaction. He suddenly threw it at me. Before I could even think of dodging it, a magical shield appeared around me which wasn't my own. It wasn't pale light purple like mine but dark blood red. The same symbol, which lay upon my shoulder, burned throughout the shield. One look at that symbol and the demon's face flashed of pure terror and fear. He started running in the opposite direction before he burst into flames but not at my hand like I intended. The whole ordeal had shocked me and I no longer doubted Castiel's words. I had little doubt to who had killed the demon.

I ran back to the sanctity of my car and drove back to my flat. I walked into the hallway and into the lift and went to my floor. I walked into my flat and was surprised to see Sam and Dean still there.

"Where have you been?" demanded Sam. He sounded just like a mother nagging their child.

"Nowhere, mum", I replied as I took off my jacket and walked into the living room. "You guys hungry?" I asked.

"Don't change the subject. Why is that thing glowing on your shoulder?" asked Dean. I looked at my partly covered shoulder and saw the symbol glowing as clear as day. What a dead give away! I was greatly annoyed by that fact. It meant I had to tell them the truth. It wasn't something they could just ignore and forget about as it affected them too.

"I was out demon hunting, trying to see if what Castiel said was true", I explained. They waited silently to hear the rest but I was having trouble putting what I saw and felt into words.

"Something really weird happened when he attacked me. You guys know that my shield is a light purple and doesn't activate unless I am in grave danger or I activate it, right? When the demon attacked me by throwing a fireball, another shield went around me and it was a deep blood red, the same symbol was entwined throughout it and the demon got blown up as he ran but not by me", I continued.

They sat on the sofas thinking for a while. The silence was suffocating and the air was full of fear. One accusation hung in the air. The death of the demon was brought by none other than Lucifer. Fear for our lives consumed us and fear of no longer having any control over the situation seeped into our minds. I couldn't take the silence no more. I wanted answers and those answers weren't going to be given to me anytime soon so why dwell on them any longer.

"I am going to make some breakfast, you guys want any?" I asked.

"Yeah" "Sure", they both replied.

I made some sausages and beans on toast and we ate in silence. After I cleared away, we began discussing the situation at hand. We had many questions that needed answers but that had to be put aside because we would have to work harder to prevent Lucifer from being set free. They decided to go back to their motel and contact other hunters to see if demon activity had increased and at which locations. I decided to scry for demon activity and alert fellow witches of the current situation. I had the feeling that something was very wrong and that we would get as many answers to our calls.

I worried about the affect the symbol could have on my powers, I feared that I might not be able to see the future anymore. I tried to get a premonition but failed which hasn't happened before. I tried sensing for other witches but failed to find any. I started to panic. Maybe it was just my powers playing up; thousands of people couldn't just disappear off the face of the earth. What if I wasn't wrong and something had happened to them. It is impossible that they all disappear at the same time. I had to go out and investigate.

My first stop would be to visit the Halliwell manor. I orbed to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. I loved it up there it was calm and soothing, making it easier to sense for presences at the Manor. The sense of good was fading from the Manor and the over whelming sense of evil filling in through the cracks. I became extremely worried at that and wondered where they could be? Where they safe? Where were their children?

I orbed to the Manor invisibly cloaked, to check it out for myself. I walked through the hallway looking at the mess of the living room and dining room. I heard arguing coming from the kitchen, I walked slowly toward the source and caught snippets of their conversation. They mentioned opening a gate and turning the magical pentagram into a source of evil and a base. There was too many of them to attack without getting caught, I had the feeling my powers wouldn't work against them as someone didn't want them to. It felt too easy but at the same time I knew I was meant to be there.

The energy in the room began building up, telling me that they were using some pretty powerful magic. The energy began seeping through into the rest of the house and soon became too much for me. It was suffocating me. I walked as quietly as possible up the stairs, trying to get as far away from the source of power. I felt the pressure against my chest slowly ease and I could breathe again.

I crept up the stairs and into the landing, near the steps leading to the attic and the book. I saw the demons trying to get in the attic but failing due to a force field around it. I wondered if anyone had locked themselves in there to protect themselves from the demons. I orbed in but was soon disappointed by the lack of people in the attic. I looked around hoping to get a sense of what happened to them. I looked to see the book still upon its stand. I walk over to it slowly unsure of how it would react to me. Thankfully it didn't jump away from me as I touched its cover.

Instantly I was sucked into a premonition of what had happened. I saw the children playing in the parlour and Piper in the kitchen cooking a family meal. Paige and Phoebe arguing as they set the table, while the guys sat about. A relatively unusual yet pleasant day for them, it was a shame when it was all disrupted by evil. A dark shadow began forming in the air first taking Piper as she cooked. She barely had time to register the shadow let alone to attempt to fight it. It soon filled the rest of the house taking Paige and Phoebe, then the guys. The children were last and they had seen the whole thing. They tried fighting the shadow off but it was unaffected by their powers. They couldn't get their family back. They were absolutely terrified. The shadow seemed to slowly approach them before they were consumed by its thick, dark clouds. I came back to the present and angrily chucked the book to the side, making a lot of noise as the stand fell. I was furious that he would do that to young children, who had nothing to do with this mess. The shadow was similar to that of the one that was in my flat before Lucifer came. I had little doubt he was behind it.

Unfortunately my little outburst didn't go unnoticed and the demons were trying harder to get in, thinking that they had cornered another witch. I could hear their thoughts screaming at me. I quickly grabbed the book and orbed back at home. I hid the book in a safe protected place before wondering if that had happened to anymore people. What had become of the elders? As soon as my thoughts turned to them, I saw the current state of the home of the elders. Their beautiful white surroundings now were scorched with black marks, telling the story of their untimely end. I shivered even though I was in my warm bedroom. Things were even worse and there was no way to stop it.

Something didn't feel right but I couldn't but my finger on what it was. I tried sensing for anyone else in my flat, I couldn't sense anybody but I knew something felt off. I checked on the book and my book as well as my potions and charms to see if anything had been moved. By now it was getting quite dark; it seemed that the days were getting shorter and shorter. I gave up my search, dismissing my feeling as fear of the unknown. I suddenly felt very wary and drained. I went into my bedroom to change into my pyjamas and went into the kitchen to get myself a glass of water. I walked up to the cupboard, in the dark and got a glass out and took it over to the tap, to pour water into it. I caught something in the corner of my eye, it looked like an outline of a man but when I turned to look at it again no one was there. I was sure I saw someone and felt uneasy as I returned into my room.

******


	4. Insomnia

I was having difficulty sleeping; I stared at the ceiling for what seemed hours. I turned on my lamp, causing the shadows to flee into hiding and took out my book. After trying to read a few pages, I couldn't get into it. I was physically tired yet mentally awake and it was driving me crazy.

Eventually I managed to go to sleep, drifting into a dream to meet my mother. I wasn't allowed to summon her for unknown reasons which infuriated me but I got around that by summoning her to my dreams. No one could catch her there. She was taken from me when I was very young. Until I was 8, it was just the two of us; but she was taken away and declared mad when she knew the truth and I was taken into care. She died before I could see her again. They killed her by locking her up, making her vulnerable to attacks. In my dreams, she will stay safe.

I walked into the familiar room where I kept her safe. She was there sitting by the fire reading. It still surprised me to see her looking so fragile. As soon as I walked into the room, darkness began consuming it and fear began filling my heart. I could no longer see her and I was no longer in her room but somewhere else. I tried to wake myself up but it didn't work. I walked blindly through the darkness and bumped into someone. A fire ignited in the fireplace showing me the face of the person I bumped into. I stepped back as I realised it was Lucifer. This was not real; I kept telling myself, you are letting your fear consume you. I started panicking I felt trapped in my own imagination.

"You are not imagining this", he said. I knew deep down he was telling the truth and it frightened me to death. I tried to step back but couldn't move. My panic grew. He stepped towards me. I closed my eyes not wanting to see him or anything, all I wanted to do was to imagine it was happening. Suddenly something came to me and I realised the connection with the symbol and me. I couldn't believe I couldn't see it before. It was so simple and I was so blind. I am the reason Lucifer was getting stronger, he was feeding off my magic but why me? He could have chosen anyone else.

"You really shouldn't fight it, it will only be worse for you. I have already won."

My head was spinning. My thoughts drifted to the Halliwell's and how their family meal was disrupted by him and wonder how many other families had he destroyed. My anger grew, I really needed to learn how to control it but it was just so hard. I couldn't handle how scared those children felt as they saw their family being consumed by the shadow. That fear haunts me and I can still feel it now. Stupidly I lunged at Lucifer attempting to hit him. He grabbed my wrist. It burned so badly. I felt my insides were slowly and painfully burning. Then the pain stopped. I felt increasingly tired and drained like the energy was being sucked out of me. Everything went black.

******


	5. A Nightmare

I awoke in the comfort of my room. I gripped my hands tightly around my duvet, trying to make sure I was truly awake. It was still quite dark. I looked at my clock only to see that it was 2am. I dismissed my dream as nothing but fear. As long as I thought so, I wouldn't give in to the overwhelming sense of dread. I felt drained and weary all I wanted to do was sleep and never wake up, at least then I wouldn't have to worry about not living another day in a cold, dark world.

I curled under my duvet and listening to the uneven rate of my breathing. It took me a while to get back to sleep. It was blissful and undisturbed by dreams and fears. I opened my eyes to the blinding light of the morning sun but someone got in the way of light. As my vision cleared and my mind focused, I saw who it was and in pure terror practically jumped off the bed and onto the floor. I curled up in a ball on the floor, closing my eyes hoping that he would just go away or I was imaging it. The room was increasingly silent for a few moments; I was considering opening my eyes again when the sound of the floor creaking under footsteps caused me to tense my body. I felt scared and vulnerable lying there but I couldn't move out of fear. He slowly walked closer to me and stood over me for what seemed an eternity.

I felt myself being picked up and the same burning feeling I felt at his touch was accompanied by a soothing sensation. My muscles slowly relaxed without my permission. I felt soothed and calm. Everything came out of focus and I fell into the darkness as I was slipped into the bedcovers.

I awoke at 3pm and was astonished at how much I had slept. Memories of the previous nights seemed a hazy blur of emotions. I got out of my bed and began changing into normal clothes. As I putting on my jumper, I saw a burnt imprint of a hand around my wrist and suddenly I remembered the dream from the night and the incident of the morning. I pulled up my jumper to reveal similar hand print marks on my side where he touched me as he picked me up. I touched them curiously to find they stung upon my touch. I looked at the mark on my shoulder in the mirror and saw that from the main mark root lines seem to be branching out, spreading across my shoulder to my arm. It didn't look good. I covered it with my jumper so others couldn't see it.

I had to get out of the flat as he knows where I live and where I am. I needed to be somewhere where he couldn't find me even if it is for a little while. I began packing my bags. I put some of my clothes in a trolley suitcase with essentials; packed my laptop, iPod and eBook in my laptop case. I went over and collected my spell book and the Halliwell book of shadows as well as a bunch of other potions and ingredients and packed them in a duffel bag. I packed some food for the road and cleaned the rest of the flat. I looked around it before leaving, taking in my home before leaving again.

I booked a hotel a few hundred miles away and drove all the way there only stopping once to get coffee to keep me awake for the journey. I really disliked coffee but I would drink it forever if it meant I didn't sleep as now dreaming wasn't safe for me anymore. I drove on through the night arriving at the hotel at early morn.

After unpacking some of my stuff, I went for a walk around the surrounding area to clear my head. As I was walking back my cell phone rang, it was my 'employers' the FBI. They seemed rather calm considering the situation. They wanted to call a meeting not too far from where I was staying for the afternoon. I wondered how they could possibly come up for a solution for our current problem. I wondered what I could do to fill up the time till then. It was not like I could go demon hunting; everything had gone too quiet like the calm before the storm.

I knew I wasn't going to find the missing people and wondered if Sam and Dean had come up with any ideas. I returned to my room before trying to phone Sam and Dean. I couldn't get through to them, I tried orbing to them but I couldn't. I tried sensing for them but failed also. Somebody didn't want me to contact them. I felt weak and empty inside like a big part of me had disappeared.

I clutched the table as the room began to spin. I needed to rest but didn't want to give in and the fear of what I may see in the depth of my dreams kept me wanting to stay awake. I made a large pot of coffee and pour some into a cup with no milk and a lot of sugar. The bitter liquid revolted my tongue but instantly I felt more awake. I tried doing some research to see if there was any way I could remove the mark on my shoulder. I could find absolutely nothing that could help me in anyway and I couldn't ask anyone else for help as they were gone.

The silence of the room was soon disturbed by whispering from unknown sources, mainly of demonic origin. It had been so quiet for long that I had jumped when the silence was disturbed. I was shocked at the noise as I usually instinctively blocked out the voices I didn't want to hear but theirs' wouldn't leave. I couldn't hear what they were saying as I only caught snippets of the conversation. Their whisperings were driving me crazy and to block them out, I put my iPod and blasted the music through my ears at loud volumes. I was growing more frustrated and helpless as the hours went on.

Soon it was time to get ready to go to the meeting. I didn't see the point in even holding the meeting, there was nothing they could do. Something did not seem right, alarm bells were ringing about this meeting but that wasn't going to stop me from going to find out what was happening. I tried to leave the room but as soon as I touched the door I was shocked and fell to the floor. My whole body ached but I wasn't going to let that stop me. I tried orbing out but again nothing happened again. I tried opening the balcony doors but was met with a shock. I picked up the lamp and unplugged it from the socket and chucked it against the glass, in hopes it would smash. The lamp was stopped before it hit the glass by an invisible barrier, falling to the floor and breaking upon impact. I tried everything, potions, spells even trying to open the windows but I just couldn't get out. I sat on the chair and sighed with defeat.

I suddenly felt something trickle down my lip; I put my hand to lip and looked at the sticky liquid upon my fingers only to see I was bleeding. Suddenly I felt cold and the world around me darkened, taking me under.

In my state of unconscious, I had a vision of the innocent Castiel wanted to me to protect. I wasn't sure how I knew that it was him, I just was. He was sitting there seemingly waiting, holding a book within his hands. Then suddenly the earth began to shake. Smoke filled the room and demons burst in, grabbing him, they knocked him out and took him away. I stood and watched through the doorway in which the demons entered. After they had left, I saw the book on the floor and picked it up. I knew I had to be there. I had to save him no matter what. There must be a way to get there as otherwise I wouldn't have been given the vision.

Somewhere in the back of my mind a voice told me I shouldn't go and that it was a trap but I suppressed that thought. I woke up, still sitting in the chair, clasping the book from my vision and it was confirmed for me that I had to find him and protect him. It was beginning to get dark outside but I saw there was no time to waste so I got out my scrying crystal, using the book to locate him. I found out that he lived not too far from where my flat was.

I got my small bag and began filling it with vanquishing potions and transporting ones. I tried orbing to my car and was relieved when it worked. I searched for my athame as I wasn't going to take any chances in case I was too late. I couldn't find my crystals anywhere and I soon realised I left them in my flat. I really didn't want to return there as I was frightened of what I might see. I had to get those crystals though so it was a no brainer, I had to go. I tried orbing but that didn't work. I sighed as I went in my bag to get the transporting potion.

Something was blocking good presences and me from my home and I was wary about what I might face there. I checked no one was around to see, like there would be as I've seen less and less people as the days drag on. I threw the potion at my feet and wished to be at my home. I was prepared for a fight yet I knew there wasn't going to be one, things just seemed too easy.

******


	6. The Innocent with black feathered hair

I looked around, everything was too quiet. Something wasn't right. It felt as though something was missing but I couldn't quite place what. I went to my shelf and picked up the engraved wooden box and opened the metal clasp. The crystals were still inside and that was all that mattered. I couldn't orb out so I used another potion to get me to his home.

It was so peaceful and tranquil outside his window. The sun was disappearing from the sky and the shadows were creeping out freely, ready to play. I began pulling out the crystals around the base of the house. I got around to the living room and put a crystal on the windowsill, before I could put the last crystal on the mantel, to complete the circle; someone grabbed my left wrist and spun me around to face them. I instantly dropped the crystal on the floor. I was surprised to see that it was my innocent. He looked much different in real life. His face was more chiselled and defined, his hair like black feathers. His golden amber eyes flickering like firelight.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Before he could say another word, I stepped on his foot and flipped him over but he didn't let go of my wrist so I fell as well. I had no time to register why he could touch me when Dean couldn't, I was too busy trying to get him to let go. I ended up on top of him, I struggled to get up but he wouldn't let me go. I considered using my powers but I didn't want to seem weak and I had the feeling they weren't going to work again. I wrestled him, to gain use of my arm so I could complete the protective circle but he pinned me down. I struggled against his weight. After a while I stopped moving, mesmerised by his eyes. Flicks of blue and green lived within the amber and were constantly moving.

Suddenly we heard glass smashing in the next room. He got up and as soon as I was realised I got to my feet. He slowly began walking to the door by the source of the noise. I walked towards the crystal hoping to complete the circle when the earth began to shake. I grabbed onto that armchair to support myself. Books were flying off the shelves, lamps falling off their tables. I wondered what was causing it. It couldn't be natural and not many people had control over the elements and I was one of them. My thought process was cut off as I was pushed against the far back wall just in time to see a book shelf fall on top of where I stood minutes before. I looked at my saviour and was relieved to see that he was alright.

"Thanks", I said. A deafening explosion filled the room and we were knocked down by the force. I looked over to him. He was still breathing but not conscious. My ears were ringing and my head hurt. Everything disappeared as I tried to get up. It all faded into nothing.

***************************************************************************


	7. Trapped

My body was sore all over. I tried to move my legs but found I couldn't as they were chained but what to I didn't know. I opened my eyes to see complete and utter darkness. My eyes took a while to adjust to the dark. I was not alone in the room; I could hear the shallow breathing of others and wondered where I was. The dark was usually so comforting for me but now it held so many questions without letting up any answers.

I tried to illuminate the room but again my powers failed me when I needed them. I felt alone and cold. The hours spent in the darkness seemed to stretch on and on. I was going half crazy in the dark, staring into nothing not knowing where I was or why I was there.

Light began flickering in the distant and I could hear the hum of the florescent lights as they warmed up. The lights slowly flicked nearer and nearer to where I was. The room brightened too brightly under the artificial harsh light. I had to shield my weary eyes with my arms, to protect them from the harshness of the light.

The sounds of footsteps echoed across the room and I uncovered my eyes so I could see the approaching figure. My eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light and my head instantly began to throb. I looked around the room, astonished to see so many cages with each a few people locked inside. The room was packed with cages with people in it. They were so afraid and it was like a switched turned on inside me and I could suddenly hear their desperate thoughts. The same fear of the unknown drowned out my own thoughts and it was deafening me. It was killing me slowly as I could do nothing to help them. What is the point of being so powerful if you are so helpless at times when you are needed the most?

I looked carefully at the man, who was slowly pacing the room. He seemed to be inspecting the people; he looked in my direction and into my eyes, causing me to shiver. He looked me up and down like a piece of meat. I tried focusing on his thoughts, not really sure I wanted to know what he was intending to do. I was frustrated when I couldn't get anything from him. Not knowing was driving me insane.

The man, with soulless eyes, walked towards one of the cages nearest to him and took out a young girl. She must have only been fourteen; her thoughts screamed at me. Her pain and fear coursed through me. I would have done anything to have taken her place for. Only hell knows what torture they were going to put her through. She tried fighting him and her thoughts screamed panic when she tried her new found powers and they didn't work. I tried to block it out and not hear as she was dragged away but her thoughts became louder and louder even though she was further away. Then her thoughts were silenced and I wondered what they were going to do with her.

For the next few hours many men came and took people away, torturing me with their thoughts. The crowd of thoughts finally died down as the number in the room was reduced to two. The person in the cage near me was unusually quiet and I thought I recognised them.

"It has been like this for weeks, Keaira. The world is in chaos. The demons are now ruling though most of the humans don't notice. They have taken over the big cooperate buildings, taking over efficiently. The building we are in is their main office. The elders are either gone or captured. The force of goodness is fading from the world" She said in her thoughts.

It was then that I recognised her as an elder. She looked so different in the potato sack she was wearing. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises. Before I could reply back, another one of those faceless men came and took her away. It was to be my turn next. The room was empty and silent once again.

The minutes slowly ticked away, leaving me to wonder what they were planning for us. I replayed through what lead me to this point. It had been a trap like I had suspected but at least now I had a chance to find out some answers. I know knew where they had been taken. I waited and knew that I wasn't going to go with them so easily. I had to find out what was going on. I didn't like the fact that my actions were being manipulated. I stood, well sat, my ground as I heard the echoing footsteps approach. They seemed to take forever to approach me; I started to become increasingly panicked. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, in hopes of calming myself down. I felt calmer as the demon drone approached my cage.

Through the bars, he unlocked the chains at my feet. I waited patiently for the right time to act. He opened the cage door and unlocked my hands. That was when I broke his nose. They may have been demons but they were inside a human's body and could still feel pain. I pushed him back against the wall and knocked him out. I slowly walked around the cages as other demons fled in to help him. They must have been standing close by to keep a look out. I hid behind the cages as they tried to find me. I kept out of their line of sight, creeping slowly towards the open door. One of the demons saw me and crept up behind me. I fought him off as best I could but his friends surrounded me. One got out an injection from one of the pockets in their padded jacket and stuck it into my flesh, causing me to fall in a deep sleep.

******


	8. Puppets, Lucifer and a Baby's cries

Suddenly I was walking along an echoing corridor, wandering around searching through the random doors, looking for something. I wasn't sure about what I was looking for but my body kept moving me forward.

I was lost in a maze of never ending corridors and doors. I just wanted to stop but my body wouldn't let me, it was like I was drawn to something like a magnet. I sighed and decided to go with the flow, hoping it would lead me to some answers. It was not like I could do otherwise.

I suddenly stopped at a large oak door. I tried to walk away from it but I was rooted to the spot. I could feel the darkness radiated out of the room, seeping through the cracks in the door. Someone wanted me to open the door of my free will but I was unsure of what lay behind the closed door. I took a deep breath and reached for the door handle and slowly opened the door. I walked in; weary of who or what I might find within the room. I immediately recognised the room.

The heat of the hearth was causing me to burn up. A sweet aroma was filling the room, dulling my sense of reason. I didn't want to be in the same room as him; the thought of it made me feel physically sick for some strange reason. I turned around and attempted to open the door but it wouldn't open. Panic rose within me, filling my heart. The heat of the room was affecting my senses and my ability to think straight; my last coherent though was Oh no, not again.

A deep chuckle brought me out of my blank state. I forced myself to concentrate and look around the room. I marvelled at the detail of the fireplace and the quality of the room. The room was similar to that of Tudor royalty. A beautiful wooden carved, four poster bed stood in the centre of the back wall. He was sitting upon the blood red bed clothes, at the edge of the bed. The thin black drapes fluttering around him, in the non-existent breeze. His eyes were fixed on me and I couldn't help but to stare back. There was something about his eyes which had a power over me. I couldn't move. I was getting seriously tired of that. It made me feel like a puppet with no control over their actions, trying to break its strings. I envisioned this within my mind, mentally cutting the strings and I slowly began to gain control back over my body. Slowly, I walked back towards the door, not taking my eyes off him. When I felt its cool touch, I willed it open, to let me out. It flew open, nearly causing me to fall and I ran out as fast as I could. I ran through the never ending corridor. It seemed to go on forever. One quietly spoken word brought me to a halt. "Wait"

I turned to the direction of the noise and saw Lucifer standing before me. I automatically focused my eyes on the floor, not wanting to meet his gaze. "Look at me"

I refused to obey him. He slowly walked towards me; his strong hands gripped my chin and gently turned my face towards him, I managed to close my eyes before I could meet his eyes. "I underestimated your power; you are more powerful than others give you credit for"

His thumb began brushing against my cheek, backwards and forwards. I tried focusing on his words but my mind was easily distracted. "You have been running for a long time; from others, from me. Ever since your mother's untimely end and you were old enough to know of the masses, who covert your powers, you ran. Only staying long enough to help and then leaving them again; never settling down for too long out of fear."

At the mention of my mother, sadness washed over me. A tear fell down my cheek and he brushed it away. I still refused to open my eyes. "Keaira, my dark angel, stop running from me, stop fighting me, it will do you no good."

I felt his body lean closer to mine and his lips brushed my own, at his touch I was dragged into a vision of darkness. I could barely see anything besides blood and there was a lot of it. Dying the stone floor red and causing my feet to stick as I walked through the pool of it. I could hear so many voices merging into one; Sam's, Dean's, Lucifer's and many others. I couldn't make out what was being said. Silencing their voices in its wake, a baby's cries echoed within my mind. The cries and the scene faded into nothingness.

******


	9. Trapped Souls

I opened my eyes, to see I was in a dimly lit room. The tortured souls of the departed hovered around me, forever tortured in death as they were in their final moments of life. I noticed that I was strapped down against a slab. The leather straps rubbed my bare skin raw. My skin was cold and clammy against the warm restraints and cold metal buckles. I was worried about what they had in store for me. I couldn't move my arms to undo the straps so I tried other methods. I began to draw some power from the earth and air but there was none to be found and my powers were being blocked by a strong force. I had a nasty feeling that they wanted something from me.

My mind was tired of all the tricks people played and I just wanted to be home with no worries like a normal person. There really was no point in wishing otherwise as we can't change what is but lying alone there caused me to think more and more about it.

My thoughts were disturbed when a seemingly old man entered the room. I tried ignoring him not wanting him to gain any satisfaction from my reactions. I kept my face as blank as possible as he circled the slab. He walked slowly and almost gracefully to the table in the far corner. He picked an old leather suitcase from under the table and slowly placed it upon the table, like he was savouring the moment. He slowly opened the tarnished gold clasps and flipped the lid back, allowing me a full view of what lay inside. The knives lay upon purple velvet within the case and were glowing faintly in the dimly lit room. I could feel their power hit me in thunderous waves. They sucked the remaining warmth and magic from the air, making the room more ominous with its chilly atmosphere. I tried so hard to keep my face blank and show no emotion, to hide my fear. His face was strained in concentration as he examined to see which one the tools he was going to use on me. I felt calm coming off him and passion for his 'craft'. I had so many questions to ask but knew I wouldn't get any information unless they wanted me to know it.

So I waited patiently for him to talk. I was shivering in the freezing room and goose bumps were all over my exposed skin. He took his time choosing his weapon, like it was an art form. He finally picked a four inch blade with a serrated edge and a black handle. The air around it was entwined with ancient runes. I had believed that kind of power no longer existed in our modern world. I marvelled at its power, it seemed as strong as ever. He slowly walked towards the slab. His mind surprisingly blank which startled me as he struck me as a man who enjoyed the pain of others, after all it was the main element of his job. I wondered if he was going to stay silent for much longer. He slowly raised his weapon above my stomach with the precision of a surgeon. He slowly slid the blade lightly along the line of my rib cage meeting the burnt hand imprint upon my skin. I gasped at the sharpness of the pain. The blade seemed to freeze my skin yet burn my insides. It was unlike any pain I felt before; it reached the very core of my being. It burned like a raging hot fire and it never stopped. Blood slowly seeped out from the relatively deep wound. It wasn't so deep that it could cause my death but deep enough to cause immense pain. I knew it was only the start of the never ending pain and I whimpered quietly. In his eyes, I saw a flicker of joy which soon faded as he looked into my eyes and heard my whimper. Something was off; this was more like a warning. Why didn't they just kill me?

My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain by my collar bone. His face was so close to mine, I could feel his breath upon my skin. The pain burned my throat causing my eyes to water. He carefully cut parts of my body that would pain me the most when moving. He cut near my joints quite deep but not deep enough to end the everlasting pain and burning sensations. He cut along my thigh; reaching from my knee to quite high up. The loss of blood and pain was causing me to lose conscience but with each new pain I was brought back.

Suddenly he just stopped cutting me and I sighed in relief. The pain of the cuts was still fresh but felt like background noise, like they weren't really affecting me. I felt peaceful and quiet. My breathing was slowing down. The sounds of ruffling awoke me from my dazed state. I tried turning my head to see what he was doing. He was lighting a fire in a fireplace which I could have sworn wasn't there before. I must be losing my mind. He picked up something that looked very similar to a screwdriver. He stuck it into the heart of the hearth. The flames dance around the metal and flickered blue, the metal glowed. Cutting I could handle but I wasn't so sure about burning. What did he plan to do with it? Brand me? As that horrible thought settled in my head, I wished to be anywhere but there. I wanted to leave the anchor of which was my body and not feel the pain no more. As he approached me, I felt everything slowly melt away and I was no longer attached to my body.

I could see what was happening but not feel it and for that I was grateful for. I looked in a bad state. My skin was extremely pale. I stared at myself and wondered if that was what I really looked like to others. I seriously was in need of some food; my bones were beginning to stick out. I had been so wrapped up in things that I hadn't thought to care for myself as I should have been doing. My eyes were closed and I was slowly breathing in and out. He grabbed my left wrist and artfully drew the same symbol upon which lay upon my shoulder using the burning hot rod. Bile arose within me; it felt as though my body was being used for something beyond my control and I didn't like that. I could feel the cold magic coming from the burnt symbol and wondered what it was for.

He put down his tool, suddenly and looked frantically around the room. The door swung open fast. I was instantly pulled back in my body and the pain washed over me afresh. I tried to focus on what was going on but the pain absorbed my attention. I saw him frantically talking to someone. He turned but I couldn't see to whom he was arguing with. He whistled, a sharp shrill sound, and a figure I instantly recognised appeared in the room. She wore what seemed to be a dog collar around her neck but I could feel the negative energy pulsing from it. She was trapped and forced to obey.

"Keep an eye on her", he said. His voice was quiet yet full of authority. It was eerie; it sent shivers down my spine like a bad memory from long ago. He left the room quickly. I was left alone with her; I wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to help me let alone if she could.

"Long time no see, Ruby", I said as normally as I could.

"We have got to get you out of here", she replied. It seemed this wasn't the time for pleasantries. She quickly unbuckled my restraints and helped me off of the slab. My entire body was sore. My knees buckled as soon as I tried to stand but she supported me up.

"Where is everybody? Where are Sam and Dean?" I asked as I tried to stand up without support. I drew all the strength I could to stand up on my own. Ruby gave me a blanket to cover my bare skin.

"Can you walk?" She asked. I tried to walk and pain shot up my leg but I could walk alright enough. We quietly walked through the door and crept through the corridor. I was surprised by the serious lack of guards, something wasn't right. The air was filled with panic and chaos. I followed Ruby slowly, limping slightly. I hated to show any sign of weakness and tried to walk without showing any signs of discomfort. We stopped at an unfamiliar door and she unlocked the door. Inside lay people's belongings and at the front I could see my clothes and bag. I looked inside to see that all the potions were there and untouched. She closed the door behind me and turned around to face me.

"Sam and Dean are within this building, you have to get them out. I am forbidden from going near them. They don't know that I know you. You have done a good job of shielding those around you from those who threaten you. A few floors down you will find them and you will find a store room down there with magical supplies. You need the protection charms and reinforcements. Quickly get dressed as they won't be distracted for long."

Whilst she spoke, I grabbed my clothes and began dressing. There were no bandages to cover my bleeding wounds; I just hoped the charm that I put on my clothes previously would last and the blood wouldn't seep through. I pulled on my black fitted jeans, wincing as the material brushed against my fresh wounds. I pulled up my micro suede long boots as quickly as possible, ignoring the searing pain shooting up my leg. I had to change quickly otherwise my chances of escape would go from slim to nonexistent. I put on my necklace over the cut upon my neck and grabbed my athame. I grabbed my bag and turned to her. She gave me the directions to where they were being kept and how to get out of the building from there. I snuck out of the door, checking the coast was clear but not before looking back and regretting leaving her behind. She was as much as a prisoner as I was only minutes before.

******


	10. Escape

I crept through wondering what had occurred to distract all of their attention. I quickly found the staircase and began to cautiously walk down to the floors below. My eyes caught a glimpse of light and I saw a window and walked further down. I stood and looked through, trying to recognise the area with no luck. I wondered where we could go and hide without getting caught. I saw cars parked below and caught sight of my car, lined up along with the rest, I couldn't see Dean's car though. I looked through my bag, praying that my keys still lay inside. I was surprised to find them there, it seemed too easy. Why put them back in my bag? They must have used them to move the car. I was too happy to think things through properly.

I continued walking down with a clear plan in my head. I managed to get on the third floor where they were being kept. I walked into the corridor and instantly heard approaching voices before I even had time to process anything, I opened one of the many doors and hid. I don't know what I was thinking at the time; I wasn't really thinking I was acting. After everything went quiet, I dared to look at my surroundings and saw I had found their store room. A gleeful smile crossed my face as I took in the weapons. Time to stock up! They had some pretty powerful stuff; cursed rifles, shotguns, athames, potions, the list goes on. I steered clear of the guns and examined the other weapons. I took a few knives and potions as well as some protective charms. I took some active potions, in case we run into trouble on the way out.

I took a deep breath in and walked out into the corridor. I dropped my psychic barrier and opened up my senses hearing an overload of thoughts. I followed the overwhelming voices of panic and fear. I walked on till I was faced with a door. I checked to see if anyone was inside. Only Sam and Dean were inside, I wondered why the other presences lingered; it seemed like hell on earth for those souls. I walked into the room, looking at the rows of empty cages and saw them at the back. I hadn't thought of how to open the cage without my powers.

"Blow up the lock", a voice from inside me said.

It wasn't any of the spirits I felt around me so who could have said it? I didn't argue though and just followed my instincts.

"Stand back", I said to them.

The lock exploded and the door swung open, they walked out. As they were doing so I noticed that Dean was severely limping and some blood was soaking through his jeans. "What happened to your leg?" I asked.

"Oh Nothing", he replied.

I sighed at his reply. He was acting tough again even though with him it wasn't an act. I thought about trying to heal him but my powers were being unpredictable and I couldn't use them useless someone wanted me to.

"Just heal him" the voice was getting an attitude, I see. Hearing it I couldn't define whether it was a male or female voice.

I gave into the voice once again and followed its demand. I kneeled by him and my hand brushed his thigh over his wound. He stepped back away from me and I looked up at him, patiently waiting for him to decide. He moved closer and flinched as my hand grazed the area above his wound. I waited as the warm light glowed and began pouring into his wound, closing it up.

"Time to go!" I said as I jumped up.

"You do have a plan, don't you?" they asked. I nodded and began to lead the way. They followed without a word. We walked back to the staircase with no obstacles blocking our path. We finally approached the ground floor and walked into the lobby of the building.

Suddenly, one of the windows smashed and I instinctively sheltered my eyes from the shattering glass. I opened my eyes to see swarms of decaying people without their souls; mindless and bound to the whim of their master. They were after us; I knew things seemed just too easy. I felt guilty about what I had to do but there was no choice.

I hung onto the fact they were already dead. I grabbed a potion out of my bag; it was purple. Purple was good; purple meant exploding power. I looked around for a clear and easy exit and motioned them towards it. They waited, ready for my signal. I threw the potion at the crowd. It was more powerful then I had assumed but at least it got rid of most of them. The force of the explosion threw me back into the wall and I fell onto the shattered glass. I didn't have time to feel the glass stab into my side.

I quickly recovered and ran towards the door and into the car park. I ran ahead of them, finding my car. Adrenaline ran through me but as soon as I stopped running, the searing pain rippled throughout my body and I leaned over. I ignored the pain and stood tall. I got my keys from by bag and got into the driver's seat. Sam and Dean shortly got in. If they saw my moment of weakness, they didn't show it. I started the car and drove out of the car park and onto the road.

******


	11. Freedom

"What happened to your neck?" Dean asked.

"Nothing" I replied as I pulled up my jumper with one hand whilst the other was on the wheel. The jumper scratched the surface of the cut causing a fresh sting. I drove faster, wanting to get as far away from that place as possible. I drove along a small road surrounded by woodland. I saw an abandoned barn up ahead and thought to park the car there. After I parked the car, I got out and they followed.

"What now?" Sam asked.

"Avoid getting caught. We are protected by magic for now but there are other ways of tracking a person so I don't know how much time we have."

I breathed in the fresh air and took in the scene around me. The air filled me with new strength and the pain was weakening. I leaned against an old oak, sharing its solid strength.

"I will take the first shift. You guys rest and later on we will discuss what to do next."

With that Sam and Dean left for the barn, wearily. I stood and listened to the sounds around me and could hear water rushing nearby. I felt I could really do with a wash in the soothing water. I walked through the growth of trees and reached the river. I took in my surroundings and saw that I could easily see intruders from the river and have enough time to warn the guys.

I pulled off my clothes and was relieved to see that the blood hadn't stained it. It was then that I noticed how deep the glass had cut me. I pulled it out and blood oozed out. I walked into the cool river and watched as my blood darkened the water around my side. I was happy to see I was no longer bleeding from the other wounds but they still hurt as hell. I bathed and relaxed in the water.

As soon as I was done, I got out and pulled on my clothes and sat against a sturdy tree trunk. I had too much time to think. So many questions were left unanswered. Like how were we going to survive? Where has everyone gone? What is going on? Who is the voice, I keep hearing?

As if by cue, the voice said, "They are approaching soon, beware".

No matter how much I asked I couldn't get any more out of the voice then that. A sudden wave of nausea swept over me and I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I knew I couldn't sleep as I was meant to be keeping guard but I couldn't stop my eyes from closing and pulling me under into blissful sleep.

******


	12. Twisted Words

I was standing in the middle of the barn where the battle between a few Angels and Demons happened over Anna. How I miss her. I wish she didn't have to go, she helped me understand a lot and guided me. Even though I didn't know her long, she was a true friend and as her guardian I let her down.

"Keaira, you are putting them at risk. We are coming for you. We know where you are."

He had appeared from nowhere and was standing behind me. I turned to look at his face and recognised him to be my torturer. I didn't even know who he was or how powerful he was but I did know he was telling the truth. Why was he telling me this though? Why didn't he just come? What is with them invading dreams? First the Angels, now the Demons.

"We are giving you a chance to come willingly. No bloodshed. At least, not today. We know exactly where you are but only know Sam and Dean are nearby. If you meet us, we won't look for them at least not yet. If you run, we will track you down as you have an electronic tracker under your skin. Isn't modern technology wonderful?" he said.

I was stunned into silence. I was disgusted and felt violated. All I wanted to do was to rip out the tracker from where it lay beneath my skin. I had to think about this calmly.

If what he was saying was true which I had little doubt it was then what were we going to do? We were too weak to fight against them and win. I wouldn't be responsible for their capture or deaths. I wouldn't have been able to live with that, not after all I've been through. I have caused enough pain and suffering. There was only one choice and that was to go with them but I didn't trust them one bit. I had to have back up plan. I needed to get Sam and Dean shielded and away from there before the Demons arrived. That meant having to talk to him quickly so I could wake up and make the necessary plans.

"I see that I have no choice but to come."

"There's a good girl. Meet us by the edge of the road, not too far from the river, in an hour. We will be waiting. You have my word we won't harm Sam and Dean yet."

"Your promise and your twisted words mean nothing to me"

With that he left. I was glad and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. It was like he held some kind of authority over me and I didn't like it one bit. I walked through the barn doors.

******


	13. Out of Harm's way

I opened my eyes to see the full moon high in the sky. The moons glow outlined the trees, making them look silver in the light. The river flowed like liquid silver.

I was momentarily distracted before I remembered the task at hand. I looked at my watch and saw it was close to 3am. I walked towards the barn and crept in, trying not to disturb Sam and Dean's slumber. I went through my bag and picked the protection potions and sprinkled it on them.

"In my time of need,

Ancient powers hear my plea,

Protect these brothers two,

From darkness forward blessed be."

I thought about where I could orb them, where they were out of harm's way at least for a while. I thought of Bobby and wondered if he was alright. I couldn't send them there; it would be the first place the Demons look. I orbed them to one of my other secret homes across the country, hoping that nothing had broken through the protective charms. I paced around the barn, trying to think about the situation at hand.

Why did they want me? It couldn't have been because of my power as I am not that powerful and others are greater in power and strength. What could it be? What was I missing?

I looked at my watch to see it was almost 4am and I had to get going. I pulled my jumper tighter around me as I walked out of the barn and into the chilly night. I love the peace of the night and the glow of the moon. I felt at home and at peace under the moonlit sky. I walked back to the river side and stared into the water. I bent over to brush my hand over the water and a slight pain filled my side, reminding me of the many cuts that lay there. I stood up and continued walking.

As I approached, I could sense them, hear them, feel them. They were trying to trap me in a circle so I wouldn't escape and thought they were doing it silently enough for me not to hear. I didn't fight or struggle as they closed around me and grabbed me; I wanted them to know I knew they were there. They pushed me to my knees and I unwillingly obliged. That was then the mystery man appeared through the gateway of bare branches. He omitted raw power; stronger than the rest were giving off. He was obviously one of the high ranking officials. Someone high in power willing to do some dirty work now that's unusual.

Was it necessary for me to be kneeling? My knees were having difficulty holding my weight and the force of the men without causing me more pain. I mean, I had come without a fight, hadn't I? Maybe it made them feel superior and in power. Far be it for me to spoil their fun.

"Bring her to the jeep"

******


	14. Pregnant? Lies!

With that, I was roughly pulled up and escorted through the woods and towards the road. I was pushed into the backseat of the jeep and was sandwiched between the mystery torturer and a guard. As the engine roared into life, I tried to focus on the good things. At least I wasn't bound, that would have been downgrading. Sam and Dean were safe so that was another plus. The scenery looked great so I tried to focus on that as it didn't require much thought. I stared through the two front seats, past the driver and looked through the windscreen.

The trees blended together in a blur of browns and reds. I could almost smell the autumn breeze and feel it upon my cheek. I could smell the wind upon my hair. I wanted to be there and not confined in this car, sandwiched between two strangers. I tensed my body, trying to avoid the touch of their skin. I closed my eyes and tried to picture myself there.

A touch upon my shoulder caused me to open my eyes. I looked at him and into his eyes. There was a dead calm about them, like the calm before a storm. I knew whatever he was going to say next to me wasn't going to be something I wanted to hear.

"You look confused, young one."

It felt strange to hear him talk like that and it caused me to shiver out of fear.

"Don't you want to know who your parents are?"

He spoke as though it was something he had mentioned before. His question shocked me. I hadn't thought of my heritage in a long while. It was something I accepted as unknown to me. I lived with not knowing for years and could continue that way easily.

"I already know enough of who they are. I only had a mother and that is all", I replied.

"But don't you want to know of your father? Don't you want to know of your past?"

I was tempted by his words but I knew no good could come from knowing the answers. Nothing will change from me not knowing but lots could from knowing. In my head I felt ignorance is bliss in this situation but my heart wanted to know more.

"The past in the past and should remain that way. It is better forgotten. I live in the present as in why am I here now?" I asked.

"Your eyes speak differently from your carefully spoken words"

Was I really that much of an open book?

"I will tell you even if you don't want to hear. It is ironic considering your current situation. You will be your father's daughter."

His words drew me in. I needed to know more but in this case I knew the knowledge would be poison. I opened my mouth to protest further but he shushed me and continued on and like the siren's song I couldn't help but listen causing my own destruction.

"You were a result of an experiment. We needed power and we wondered if a child of both sides would be more powerful. No one of the side of light would agree of course so we had to take prisoners. Your mother was one of them. She was so easy to capture, so weak. She broke quickly you know. She gave in. I personally saw to her. She was mine. I used her and got her with child. I broke her spirit and enjoyed doing it and I will break yours. I enjoyed getting her back for escaping and leaving. She received her punishment. You are of my flesh and blood and you will do me proud."

I was revolted at his words. I was nothing like him.

"You are not my father and I will never be like you"

"Oh but you are. Another mixed but powerful child is on its way and will be born to you. She will be more of Demon blood then of the light. Your child will be raised among us and you will join us as you have no other choice."

I would have a child but that was not possible. I mean, how could I be pregnant? I haven't been with anyone let alone a Demon. What in hell was going on? I had to get out of the car before he could say anymore I used the palm of my hand to break his nose and flicked my wrists freezing them both. I quickly unlocked the car doors and rolled out of the moving car and off the road. I rolled down a slope and into a lot of trees. In the distance, I could hear the car brake and the sounds of men shouting. I couldn't orb out so I opted for hiding within the forest.

Suddenly I couldn't hear them anymore and that worried me more than anything.

"Behind you!" the voice shouted.

Before I could turn around, I was shoved to the floor on my knees.

"Stubborn, just like your mother. You will break as she did, they always do", he said as the clicking sound of his gun echoed throughout the woods. The sounds deafened my ears as he shot my shoulder. I felt the sting of the salt and thought he shot me with rock salt. The last thing I thought as the world went black again was how ironic?

******


	15. Pain

All I could see as I gazed ahead through the large window was beautiful green grass that went on as far as the eye could see. Trees framed the area nicely; some were evergreen, whilst others were bare. I felt the touch of cool skin against my bare shoulder and my senses were brought back into the room. I instantly recognised the surroundings and saw I was sitting upon a black velvet couch. Cool liquid soothed my aching shoulder and I turned to see who it was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw who it was and immediately fear ran through my veins, freezing my heart for just a second. I was broken; I didn't have it in me yet to fight back. The shock was still too fresh. I saw my shirt lying on the table and saw that it was cleaned and repaired. I put it on and he didn't protest. He got up and stood before me. I could not form the words to say to him. I wanted so much for my supposed father to have lied and that it wasn't true. I was just so confused.

"You know deep down that it is all true yet you still doubt. Our child is within you and even speaks to you, I can hear its constant whispers and thoughts yet you block it out."

"It isn't possible. It isn't true."

To my surprise, he knelt in front of me and clasped my hand.

"Open your mind and heart and you will hear the truth"

I closed my eyes and listened to the voice within. Images of the argument Castiel and Lucifer had, came to my mind. My memory of that night was incomplete it seems. I was leaning back against the way by the doorway. They were in the middle of the living room and I was by the bedroom. Castiel had his back towards me and they were arguing. I was about to go in the living room when I heard them. I had hoped they hadn't seen me but Lucifer had notice me. I don't remember that. What was going to happen next that I had forgotten? They had stopped arguing and Castiel had left in anger but Lucifer was still there. Why did I stay? My panic increased as I realised what had happened and what I was made to forget. I did not want to see it. I wasn't strong enough to take it. All I needed to know is that it resulted in a child. My child. I pulled myself back out of the memory and opened my eyes. My heart was thumping against my chest and I couldn't breathe. I pulled my hand out of his grasp and got up. I needed to breathe fresh air. I walked towards the door and out of the room. Guards stood around the corridors; they were unsure whether to take me back.

"Let her go", he said from behind me.

I walked through the corridors in a daze and out through the oak doors into the fresh air. I continued walking; I couldn't stop. The breeze whipped my hair into my face, trying to wake me up but failing. A storm was brewing the sky and dark clouds began to gather as the winds increased. A sharp pain hit my side and I fell to my knees. I could hear them around me calling for help and panicking. I couldn't take the overload of painful information: the treatment of my mother; her death, my birth, my father, my child. Before I knew it, I was being picked up and cradle in strong arms. I was repulsed by his touch after what had happened. I could handle his cruelty but not his kindness.

I let the sadness overcome me and wept in his arms. I needed the feel of a person's arms around me. I snuggled my head further into his chest and let the warmth soothe me. I barely noticed as he carried me inside. I could not see through the tears that filled my eyes. I wept until blissful sleep pulled me under whilst in those warm arms.

******


	16. Astral Projection

My heartbeat was pounding through my ears, causing my head to vibrate. My throat was raw and I really didn't want to open my eyes. I was afraid of who and what I might see. I couldn't move my hands; I couldn't move at all. I began to panic and struggled to release myself. The noise of something dropping to the floor caused me to open my eyes to see who was there. I saw Lucifer sitting in the side of the bed as I had once seen him before. I realised that my arms were bound the headboard. A strange man was leaning over me and I didn't like it at all. I began to struggle and use everything I could to get out. Lucifer turned to me.

"Ssshh" he said whilst his fingers glided around the side of my face.

His touch calmed me and relaxed me. I could no longer remember why I was so panicked. The man picked up a tube of gel and put it upon my partially covered stomach. The gel was freezing and for a second it woke me up again and I couldn't keep still. Lucifer cupped my face in his hands. I looked into his eyes; they were the grey of clouds before a storm and within them lay the colours of the sunset. I barely registered as the man probed my stomach. There were images within his eyes; of light and darkness, of the sunrise and sunset. I simply forgot all that had happened before and they were insignificant. They ceased to matter. Nothing else mattered as long as I was staring into his eyes. Troubles just melted away and I never wanted to stop looking. Now I knew why you should never look into someone's eyes especially if they are powerful; it can be extremely intoxicating.

"She is a healthy three months along; the child is fine".

The man's voice broke the spell and Lucifer turned to gaze upon the screen. I could not, would not look upon the screen and see the child. I couldn't let it become real to me otherwise I wouldn't be able to let go. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing and my lonely thoughts. I heard the shuffle of movement and opened my eyes. I saw the look upon his face; pure joy at first but with a deeper meaning behind it, the look of a child finally getting its heart's desire; only that it didn't look so innocent. That look caused me to shiver. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I didn't noticed the stranger leave the room. I was alone with Lucifer.

A wave of extreme nausea hit me hard and fast. I looked around for a bin to be sick in and found one on the side.

"Release my hands, I am going to be sick", I said

He unbound one of my wrists and I leaned over the side of the bed and got sick in the bin. The foul liquid revolted my tongue causing me to gag. The cold touch of a glass was upon my skin. I turned to see him holding a glass of water for me. I took it with my free wrist and gulped it down quickly. The cool liquid soothed my burning raw throat. He leaned over me and unbound my other wrist. I rubbed them to relieve them of their stiffness. I pulled my legs up to my chest and hugged them close. I closed my eyes and thought about how the situation I was in couldn't have gotten any worse than it was.

I could hear him edging closer but I would not look up. The gel on my stomach was rubbing off on my jeans and causing some discomfort but I didn't care. I could hear my heart within my chest and I could swear I could hear a faint second heart beat. I couldn't listen to it so I recited, in my head, a Spanish lullaby my mother had taught me. It distracted me for a moment; it made me forget. He removed my hands from around my legs. I looked up and saw that my hands were shaking uncontrollably. Before I knew it a blanket was being wrapped around me.

I pushed it off and got off the bed and moved as far back as possible, near the window. The window was my lifeline towards the outside world. The world spun as I walked but I kept my eyes focused on the window. I stepped out closer to the window and found myself surrounding by trees. I was free if only in spirit. I could touch but could barely feel my surroundings. I breathed in the air and let the cold fill my lungs. My hand hovered above the bark of the tree. I put all my energy to allow me to feel the rough bark. I let go and my hand fell through; I was a spirit, hidden from the world. I felt a burden lift from me and I felt free even if it was only for a short while, I could forget earthly worries.

******


	17. Contact

Rustling of leaves, caught my attention. It couldn't have been me who had made the sound; I couldn't touch anything unless I wanted to, I was only a presence. Maybe it was just my imagination. Even though I knew I couldn't be seen by normal people and demons, I was still afraid. What if I was wrong? What if they had found me?

"Don't worry, Keaira. It is me, Castiel." I let out a breath I didn't know I could hold let alone knew I was holding.

"What has been happening? Who is winning? Is Sam and Dean, alright?" I blurted out.

"Things aren't going to well. Dean has lost faith in his abilities. Sam is spiralling out of control and descending into darkness quickly. He has good intentions but is losing sense. We are working on it."

"Did you know that Lucifer is here?"

"I did not know till recently. My superiors knew. He is not here in his full power and is trapped. He is getting stronger by the day. More seals are being broken and there aren't enough of us to stop it. I don't know what to do but I know that Dean can help end this."

"I need to get out. I need to help. I should be helping."

"There is nothing you can do, not whilst you are under his charms. We have no idea how much influence he has over you."

"So basically, you have no idea what he is up to and we are all damned."

"I have come to find out. You just out of his reach so we could contact you. If you would allow me, I have to look at your wrist."

"I know I have no other choice but to let you look." I held out my arm towards him. I wasn't surprised as he pulled up my sleeve as I was solid. I looked at his human face, trying to read a reaction from him. Was it me or did a little light in his eyes die as he saw the burnt symbol upon my wrist. His fingers trailed over the lines and it stung. The lines glowed brighter.

"I am sorry. I didn't want to do this but it has to be done. We can't let him succeed. And an innocent child as well. I am so sorry", he said as he ran his hand through his hair; a very human gesture, a sign of nervousness. He seemed broken not his usual complete faith in his duty self. I then understood what he meant and what he had to do. I was glad he was doing it as I wasn't sure if I had the strength to.

"I understand why. It has to be done." This way, I knew it would be permanent. Destroy the spirit, the essence of the person and they are gone. He would no longer be able to feed of my power or use my child for his purposes. The ultimate sacrifice. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I was terrified as I stepped closer to Castiel. I closed my eyes as something plunged through my stomach. Searing pain rippled through my body. He couldn't do finish it quickly enough. Before he could reach my heart; I was dragged back into my body.

A scream filled the air and I realised it was my scream. I bit my lip, to clamp my mouth shut. Blood poured from my wound, soaking the sheets. I was tied to the bed, once again. I hoped that my scream would be passed off as hysteria and they wouldn't come in before I had died. The pain was slowly fading and the world dulling. I could hear shouts in the distant but they didn't register as I fell into a pit of darkness, of no pain, of no sorrow. Peace at last.

***************************************************************************


	18. Forgotten

The smell of smoke filled the room. The room was eerily silent and not comforting at all. I had no idea where I was. I could not recall anything. I felt like a child on their first day at school; scared of the unknown yet excited by new knowledge. The room did not feel comforting; it did not have the feel of home.

I could feel silk against my bare skin. It felt foreign like it didn't belong. Something weighed heavily upon my body. I was still in a state of slumber; not much registered with me. Random thoughts flew through my head. I had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was very wrong. Images of dreams came back to me but I couldn't decipher them. Scenes of destruction flowed through my mind.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening caused me to wake from my dazed state.

"You're awake", the figure said as he walked towards the bed. He looked so familiar yet so unknown. He had the air of mistrust around him. I was suddenly very scared and pulled the covers closer to my chin. Who was he? Why did he have this effect on me? I felt like a child in his presence. He patiently pulled the velvet red bed clothes of me and picked me out of the bed. I tried to protests but all thoughts of reason left my mind. I couldn't focus on him, on anything. It felt good to be near him, near something solid; to remind me of reality.

******


	19. Death and Destruction

**A/n Sorry I haven't written much lately because I have been busy 'revising' for exams.**

The next thing I knew was that I was no longer in that room but somewhere else full of strange people. What was I doing here? How did I get here? I looked around at my surroundings and saw many men and women all looking at the same man; the man with all the authority. And I was sitting beside him. Why was I next to him? Who was he? Someone important but the name continues to escape me.

The feeling of fear, of dread, settled deep within me and something else I couldn't quite explain. I pondered over what the feeling could be. It was dark and consuming. I turned to look at the man beside me. The feeling grew darker and red hot. It was then I realised that I feared and hated this man but the reason why continued to escape me. The words I hate you flowed through my mind, slipping out as quickly as it came.

Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. Sharp, burning pain seared through my arm. He leaned closer to me and whispered "I know".

What did he know? Had he heard my thoughts? What was going on? A sharp pain hit my head and I couldn't think clearly. Something was stopping me from knowing. What wasn't I allowed to remember? Instinctively, my hand reached for something on my neck but nothing was there. It felt empty. Something was missing.

It just clicked and suddenly I became more aware of my surroundings. My senses heighten and the background noise of the room got louder and louder. It was consuming me, deafening me, paralysing me. The overload of noise was too much for me to bear. I was drowning in the sea of voices, unable to make out anything in particular.

Then, as clear as day, the voices died downed as I managed to focus on one voice in particular. "Why is he letting a witch whore pollute our cause? She is weak and pathetic. Why doesn't he just get rid of her?" It took me a second to realise that the voice was talking about me. I scanned the crowd of people looking to see who spoke those words. One particular Warlock caught my eye. I just knew that it was him, that the words had come from but I hadn't seen him moving his lips. It was then I realised that I had heard his thoughts.

Once I had the target for my anger, it amplified. It grew until it consumed me. How dare he think those thoughts about me? How dare he insult me?

Suddenly the room began to violently shake. I stood up and focused all my hate on this one pitiful warlock. He wouldn't know what was going to hit him. I extended my arm and shot fire out towards him. The flames engulfed him and his screams echoed throughout the room. His pain gave me pleasure and a sense of belonging. His human shell was reduced to a pile of ashes which swirled around in the wind that was gathering within the room. Out of his shell rose thick black smoke; the very essence of his being. I threw a fireball at it; wanting to destroy him completely. It caught alight with a deep purple flame and violently exploded; sending the demons near what was left of him flying back. I laughed at this display; it was extremely comical to see them fall like dominos.

I wasn't finished yet; far from it. I enjoyed watching them being helpless. My anger fuelled me. Dark clouds gather above my head and the room shook more violently. Winds violently whipped around. The sound of thunder rumbled quietly. Due to the force of the winds, some of the demons were violently pushed against the walls and windows. Shattered glass lay everywhere. None could avoid its sharp edges; not even I but I was beyond caring. The winds picked up the glass; no one was safe. The glass cut into the demons; blood splattered across the lovely broken windows. Some even landed on my face. I was enjoying the show; it gave me the feeling of strength. I didn't even notice as my blood trickled down my lip. I was too busy conjuring up faster and stronger winds.

"Leave, all of you. Now", shouted a voice beside me. It was like the voice was an object itself and rippled through the air. The demons that were still living did not need to be told twice and left in their own special ways.

I was drained by those words. I couldn't stand still and my body was swaying. My hands were shaking beyond my control. I fell into open arms.

******


	20. Memories

_A/N Exams are now over and I am looking forward to getting into writing this again. Anyways, I just want to thank a few people for their reviews and I just want them to know how much I appreciate them taking the time to review and just brightening up my day. Thank you : Pineapple8193, Alliehalliwell, Take Your Bow and especially Maverick500. Now I will stop wasting any more time and enjoy._

I awoke sore all over. In my arm was a long tube connected to a drip. URGGHH! What was going on? I was just so frustrated that I couldn't remember. I knew it was something important. The medication that was being pumped into my arm made it much harder to think clearly. My mind was slowly fogging up.

I ripped the tube out of my arm. The sharpness of the pain awoke my brain. It was then I noticed that the room was darker then it was before. I could barely see what was in front of me. Was it just me or was the room getting darker by the minute? Panic seized me, I had to get out. I flipped the covers off of me and got out of the bed. I started moving to the direction of where the door should have been. Someone grabbed my arm and I was pulled back. I knew who it was. I struggled to get out of his grasp. I was just pulled closer to him. I breathed in the scent of him. He smelled of fire; a fresh autumns evening and something else which I could only describe as fear but it wasn't his own but the scent of others clinging onto him like he savoured it. He pulled me into his chest. My body ceased struggling against his, contrary to what I wanted. I wrapped my arms around his body and surrendered to his embrace. He felt so strong and solid; the world around us seemed to crumble. The darkness consumed us; tightening around us.

The black clouds seemed to become less dense and dispersed. We were standing in a clearing on higher ground looking over a congested city. The city looked so familiar to me; it called to me. I knew immediately that some part of my past lay there and I wanted to go down and investigate. My grip on him tightened. It was strange, I couldn't remember his name yet I feel as though I have known him for years; like he has always been there, watching.

That was when I heard a voice, drifting through the breeze, whispering. Lucifer, that word was swept away within the air but stuck in my mind.

"Sweetie, I know you are having trouble remembering and I have brought here to remember." It seemed odd hearing him speak this way. I brushed off that thought, thinking it was probably because he seemed so authoritative earlier.

"Remember this city. You lived here for a while with your mother." A scene of my mother played in my mind. Within she was sitting by her fireplace, reading her favourite book; surrounded in bookshelves. The cosy scene was ruined by another flashback. This one was blurred and not so sharp or clear. My mother was being dragged away and I calling out for her; wanting her. The men were holding onto me; forbidding me to be with her. It was too painful for me to remember. I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"I remember", I whispered.

"What do you remember?" he said tenderly, wiping the tears off my face with his finger.

"They took her away from me"

"That's right. Those people ripped you apart from your mother. They took her away thinking she was mentally unstable but she wasn't, was she?"

"No"

"They put you in a foster home. Didn't they? They made you suppress your powers, your heritage. They feared and hated you as they feared and hated your mother. They made you think your mother was a liar but she wasn't. She knew the truth about the world. She knew about the world of magic, of power."

"Yes, they were the liars." My hate for them grew with each word and my anger grew beyond my control. The wind began to pick up and gather once again. Aggressive storm clouds began to gather above the city. The ground began to violently shake. The clouds began to darken and rain began to fall; getting faster by the second. The trees fiercely swayed in the ever growing winds. Thunder rumbled loudly signalling the coming of lightening.

All I could focus on was how they destroyed my mother's life just because she was different and knew something more. Now it was up to me to destroy their lives. I willed the winds to gather and swirl around faster and faster; creating a tornado, small at first but growing larger by the minute. With my hand, I guided it throughout the city and watched the destruction it caused. Buildings were ripped apart; cars were lifted above the ground and swirled around. I could hear the people screaming below. I could feel their panic. I wasn't thinking straight; all that was driving me was anger and hate. I couldn't stop what I had begun.

I stood there and watched the scene unfold in front of me. Their pain, their fear consumed me. I was numb inside. What had I done?

******


	21. Peace

The same mind numbing routine. I barely focused on what I was doing. Most of the time, I was left alone in that room; left with my guilty thoughts, running through my head. I lost all sense of reason and off time. It was bad enough not being able to fully remember my life but to not exactly be present as well. It was like I had no control over my body.

I felt empty on the inside with no sense of real purpose. Causing that storm gave me a thrill; I really enjoyed watching the destruction I had caused but why did I feel so bad as well? Those people were bad right? But then why did I feel deep down that they weren't and ignorance was their only sin.

I could not tell when the voices started again though this time it was different, it wasn't others thoughts that I was hearing, that I knew for sure. I felt as though I was losing my grip on reality. They whispered horrible misdeeds to me and somehow I felt as though I was at fault. All the pain and suffering they felt, I felt. It consumed me, taking over whatever sane part of me was left.

*

Lying in cold, scented water, staring at the many scars that were upon my body, I thought of what could have happened before. As I traced my hands along them, flashes appeared to me, showing me their stories. Terrible scenes flashed before me, of death, of killing, all around me death and gore. It disgusted me that a same part of me, deep inside, enjoyed it; the thrill of the adventure and the adrenaline of the fights. Pain rippled through my body, reminding me of all the suffering I had caused. Shouting, which sounded so far away yet, was so near, reached my ears. I rose out of the bone chilling water, seeking warmth and comfort from my nightgown. The pain was growing too much. New cuts appeared on my arms. They seemed familiar like old friends. Old wounds opened up again, blood soaking through the gown. Too much blood was being lost. The pain resided into numbness. I knew I deserved this for my past deeds. Not even the sound and smell of the burning door could pull me back, I was too far gone. The feeling of warmth brought me back. I slowly became aware of him in front of me. Always there to drag me back, I thought bitterly as I slipped into unconsciousness.

*

The voices woke me up. Whispering me to get up, telling me about my failure. I didn't need reminding how worthless I was; I already knew. The voices were getting louder and angrier; telling me to get up, to move. A chill spread up my back as I felt hands pull me up but I didn't see anything. My heart raced wildly as my fear increased. I wondered where they were trying to lead me to. I was dragged out of the bed and moved towards the solid oak door. I stood in front of it; apparently they were expecting me to open it. They wouldn't allow me to move until I did. They pushed me along through the never ending corridors until we reached some stairs. They forced me up countless stairs. I couldn't take climbing up them all. Breathing became increasingly difficult but they never slowed down the pace; they made me carry on. Finally we reached the roof. It was then I realised what the voices had in mind and I agreed with them. I was no good to anyone anymore. People would be better off if I was gone. Then I won't bring chaos to the world and hurt innocent people. All I ever seem to do is hurt, maim and kill. They guided me slowly towards the edge as I thought it through until I stood at the very edge. They were leaving the choice to me but they knew already what my answer would be. Things would be better without me. I was just too unstable. I put my hand against the swell of my belly. Regret and guilt filled me; I would never get to know my child and it wasn't their fault they were conceived and were dangerous but it had to be done.

The winds began picking up around me and the clouds began to darken. Heavy rain began to fall all around me as the whipped my louse hair about. I leant over, about to step off the rooftop when someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"What do you think you are doing?" he said as he pulled me further away from the edge. I tried to resist his clasp but I wasn't strong enough.

"I just wanted the pain to end"

"Sshh, things will get better and I will stop the pain", he replied stroking my face. With each stroke my body relaxed and my mind became clouded. I felt my body being picked up and carried away. All the time, looking up onto his face and then beyond it, not really thinking anything. No more pain.

******


	22. The Premonition

_A/N Not sure what is going to be made of this chapter. I am not sure others will get it. So please tell me if it was badly written or if it was confusing. Anyways, I would like to thank Take Your Bow and Maverick500 for their reviews. Now I will stop wasting any more time and enjoy._

Before I even knew it, I was back into the room. I continued staring up at him and this time I noticed a crystal necklace around his neck. As he laid me upon the bed, I reached up to touch it and the world around me melted. One thing was for sure I was no longer in that room. The question was where the hell was I? I was in someone's home and by the looks of it the person was female due to the clothes lying about. Other than the obvious mess of clothes the room was relatively neat.

Suddenly a scream stopped my investigating and beckoned me to another room. I walked slowly towards the source of the noise. I was shocked by what I saw. A young woman was upon the bed covered only by a single bed sheet. Her face was consorted in pain. She was covered in sweat and was wild-eyed. It looked as though she had some terrible fever of some sort. Leaning over her was a man; he too was covered only by a sheet underneath his skin lay bare. It was only as I got closer that I recognised the man as the one called Lucifer. The realisation shook me and underneath I felt jealous but it felt so foreign to me, so wrong.

She screamed louder and then suddenly she erupted in flames and was dust. Shimmers of white light rose from the ashes and were absorbed by his necklace. It felt so horrifying. The worst thing was he felt no pain, no remorse just disappointment at the situation. She just died in front of him and he didn't care. I couldn't move and my heart began beating faster and harder against my chest, stopping me from breathing properly. I tried walking backwards out the room but my arm caught on something and it fell.

It was then that he looked up and saw me. I couldn't breathe. The world began to darken then suddenly I opened my eyes and I was back in that same room, clutching his necklace. I let it go like it were hot coals. Panic gripped me, I couldn't breathe. The pressure against my chest began to build. I had to get him away from me. I swung my arms wildly trying to push him back but he just moved out the way. He knew what I saw. I could tell by the look on his face.

"Calm down. You could hurt yourself or the baby"

I just wanted him to leave. I was so confused and just tired of everything. Why didn't he let me jump? Why did it hurt so much? Why was I there? What happened of my past?

Then he grabbed my face and pulled it towards him. I looked into his eyes. A storm was brewing within them, frantically stirring. Blood red clouds gathered and swirled around suppressing the storm. The sun appeared between the clouds and began to set. It was so peaceful. My mind was soothed and sleep called to me and I succumbed to its call.

******


	23. The Cave

Confined to bed rest again. I feel so tired and weak. All I want to do is sleep and that is all I do but why do I feel so tired. My body aches and it is a pain to move. How on Earth did I let myself get into this situation?

I swear sometimes I could hear the baby thoughts, soothing my troubled mind. reassuring me that what had been wasn't my fault and for a while I felt at peace. I couldn't help but wonder though if there was something that my child couldn't tell me, something someone didn't want me to know.

My thoughts were interrupted as the door noisily flew open. It was like they knew what I was conspiring to think.

"It is time." He said as he guided me out of the bed.

I was made to dress quickly. Something strange was happening. I was reluctant to leave. Something about what was to come filled me with dread. Even the baby felt uneasy.

He appeared behind me and embraced me as the world dissolved into the darkness around us. Then we were in this dark cave.

"It is time to open the gate", he said.

Gate? What gate? Why did my head hurt so much? What can't I remember?

"It is ok", the voice said which I now recognised as my unborn child. "All will be revealed soon".

"Blood is needed to open the gate," he continued. "Your blood; that of light and dark"

Blood. I felt queasy just thinking about it. Help me, somebody please. This doesn't feel right.

"Trust me." He said as he handed me an athame.

I looked into his eyes and found myself edging the blade over the skin of my palm. I barely registered the pain. I found myself walking towards the stone wall. Somehow I knew where to touch to open it. I couldn't stop myself. I felt that it was wrong but I couldn't stop. As soon as my blood touched the stone the gate opened and dark spirits began filling the cave. I knew that I shouldn't have done it.

"Now", the voice said.

With that word two men appeared in the room, surrounded by red orbs. They looked so familiar. Flashes of my dreams came to mind. They were incomplete and conflicting. Scenes of death and destruction came to mind. Two guys stood out. They gave off an aura of strength and loss. Two brothers united by loss. They had occurred often in my dreams, playing the good guys. Their faces were puzzled but this soon turned to relief.

"Keaira", the older one said.

With that word, all of it came back to me. This warm glowing feeling filled me as I remembered the past. Then the guilt hit as I realised what I had done. I had hurt innocent people as well as opened a gate to Hell and allowing Demons into the cave.

"Oh crap. What have I done?"

How do I fix this? All my fault. Need to close gate.

The spirits were filling the cave but for some reason couldn't leave.

"We are stopping them", the voice explained. "And we can close the gate and send them back. Blood opens the gate so blood can close it."

But a bigger sacrifice was needed.

"Us"

At the same time, Lucifer realised what we were thinking but I knew I had to do it before he tries to manipulate me again. Before he could stop me, I plunged the athame into my heart and edged towards the wall.

I could barely see anything besides blood and there was a lot of it. Dying the stone floor red and causing my feet to stick as I walked through the pool of it. I could feel my blood being absorbed into the stone. I felt no pain just numbness and a sense of relief. I could hear so many voices merging into one; Sam's, Dean's, Lucifer's and many others. I couldn't make out what was being said. Silencing their voices in its wake, a baby's cries echoed within my mind as I succumbed to the darkness and separated from my body.

******


	24. Malik

_A/N Keaira has been dead for over 6 months now. The world has slowly been corrupted and destroyed by Lucifer, who is still not back in Hell. This part is in the viewpoint of the Innocent previously mentioned with black feathered hair. Hopefully writing this chapter will get me back into continuing this and actually finishing it. Enjoy._

It has been months yet I can't get her out of my mind. She is a part of my past yet I am a part of her future.

I couldn't believe that she was gone. That was not meant to happen. She was meant to live. Her essence plagues my waking hours. I hunger for the sweet taste of the blood that tamed the beast that I once was. Seeing her again caught me by surprise. It had been decades since we first met. I knew that she did not belong in that age but I was surprised to see her here.

But why has nothing changed? Why am I the same as she made me if she is gone and can no longer fulfil the task? Something had yet to be done. There is still a chance to right the wrong.

Escaping from the clutches of those pathetic demons was easy and I was home within hours. Now, finding her was the difficult part. It wasn't until after Lucifer tried to manipulate her and resulted in her death did I find out what happened.

Whispers and echoes haunt my waking hours. Books fly off the shelves, trying to tell me something yet I do not know what they wish to say. My strength and power alone was not enough to see the angered spirits. I had to call on my first blood; the first blood consumed when I was a new born, Keaira's, to gain the power I needed to see them.

I was sitting on my armchair when I saw her. The resemblance to Keaira was undeniable. The same golden brown hair but hers was longer more curly. Her hazel eyes showed more pain and wisdom than Keaira's. She was Keaira's witch mother.

"Malik, we need to help Keaira. It was not her time to die. She needs to help put an end to all the destruction and chaos that has fallen upon the world." She said.

"But it isn't possible. Only a select few can bring people back from the dead. And if they wanted to they would have by now."

"The angels are either corrupted or fear what Keaira can do. They believe she can easily turn and that makes her an unpredictable factor that they do not wish to contend with. You share a bond with her. You are bonded with her blood; her blood at a time when she is more powerful and has the power. Your blood is her blood. You can help bring her back so that she will live to be there when you turn. You can bring her back so that she can help Sam, Dean and the Charmed ones end the apocalypse and trap Lucifer once more."

When she put it like that, I could hardly argue with her. I could see where Keaira got her strength from.

"What do I need to do?"

"First of all, we need to find the Winchester brothers."

******


	25. The Plan

Finding them was going to be a problem. They were shielded from the world through the power of an angel and the protection of a witch. One way, they were sure to reply was if they were called by someone that they trusted, even though said person may be deceased but there was no way of contacting her spirit; she was too far gone.

Now to do this without calling Lucifer's attention was going to be difficult. He had taken over and has control over most beings. There are still a few who continue to fight back against him but their numbers are dwindling by the day. We had to act fast.

"How are we going to find them, Alaina? I cannot track them as they have protection. I am not powerful enough to get past her magic as well as the angel's power."

"You are going have to call on Keaira's blood once again as I am not powerful enough either. Every time I think I have their location it changes or flitters. You are going to astral project part of yourself to them and deliver a message of the plan. Deep down, you know you can do it, just follow your instinct and the magic of her blood, of your blood."

I walked over to my armchair and sat down. I closed my eyes and listening to the rush of blood circulating my body; the whispers of all the victims and donors alike, telling of their life story. I tried to find her voice; it was louder and clearer than the rest, more powerful. I followed it and allowed it to fill my thoughts, to find my desires. A warm feeling filled me as it realised what it was being asked to accomplish. The feeling spread around my body and took control. I panicked at first but the feeling put me at ease. I let two names fill my thoughts. I felt my body sliver underneath me as I was blinded by light.

I floated for what seemed forever. All time was lost without a body to keep it. Without any notice the light just faded away and there they were. They looked worn and tired. The constant battles of the last 6 months have put a strain of their hope.

I looked around me at the simple surroundings. It was pretty make shift and all the items could be easily packed. The house was once well kept and looked after but that no longer seemed the case. Shelter, any shelter from Lucifer was good in this world.

As soon as they heard me, they had got up from their beds, if you could call them that, more like a thin mattress and a pile of blankets. They were in defence mode; Dean was pointing a gun at where my heart used to beat.

"Who and what are you?" asked Dean.

At least he was not taking the kill now and ask questions later route.

"What I am is of no consequence to you. All you need to know is that I have a way of getting Keaira back but that requires your help"

"How do we know we can trust you? How did you even get here?" asked Sam.

The door then creaked open and out came the angel, Castiel. Right on time, as always.

"Sam, Dean, it is alright. He speaks of the truth. He may not be loyal to many but he is loyal to Keaira. He has to be." He said trying to hide his distain. It matters not to me the opinion of a sheltered angel especially one that has been so easily thrown aside.

"Now the pleasantries are over with, we can get down to business. In Keaira's book of shadows there is a recipe for a potion which in a sense will bring her back to life though it is more like being reborn. The problem is it requires the help of three plus we need to get the book from her place which is being guarded by Lucifer's men."

"If you don't have the book, how do you know that the recipe is in there?" inquired Sam.

"Alaina, Keaira's mother, has seen it"

"You mean her dead mother as in the ghost of her dead mother?" asked Dean.

"Yes, I hope that isn't too difficult for you to grasp"

"You want us to get the book?" asked Castiel.

"Yes, I am unfortunately incapable of retrieving it"

"Alright, it is worth a shot." said Dean.

"Meet me with the book tomorrow evening, assuming you can get it by then?"

"We will have it" Castiel replied.

"You know where to find me Castiel" I said as I filled my head with thoughts of home. The bright light engulfed me once again

******


	26. The Potion

_A/N This is still in the view of the innocent also known as Malik. Sorry for taking so long. And thank you for the reviews. Thank you Pineapple8193 for your editing skills :D_

I awoke refreshed as the crescent of the moon began showing in the night sky. The feeling of anticipation hung in the air. Soon she will be free. My body felt almost warm as it was buzzing with the new blood from my hunt the night before. I could feel its warmth spreading throughout my body. Still warm and making me feel almost as if I were alive again. How long has it been since I have felt alive? Far too long. I mentally shook myself and reigned in my focus. The blood of the hunt should sustain me for a few days. Enough to sort things out.

I quickly changed into something more suitable for meeting outside company and walked down the old stairs to await their arrival. I opened the creaky white paned windows and let in the night air before I sat upon my armchair to read. The old grandfather clock ticked tocked in the background. I drummed my fingers upon the arm rest as the clock chimed eleven times. What was taking them so long?

_Knock, Knock._

Two sharp knocks unsettled the lingering question in my mind. I slowly rose from the armchair and walked across the maple flooring; my shoes tapping as they went along. I crossed the landing and walked towards the front door. The erratic heartbeats of two washing over me. Whilst the almost dormant heartbeat of another hummed quietly underneath them. The sounds tugged at my animal instincts but I had long learned to control my hunger. No matter how full I was it always seemed that I was ready for more. It was never enough.

Closing my eyes, I tried to sense if it was them. I already knew that it was not demons as no demon is ever that polite, especially if they were trying to kill you. It was them and it seems to me that they had a bit of a run in with the demons, who are guarding Keaira's home. I opened the door for them and let them into the living room so that they could catch their breath for the moment.

"Castiel, always a pleasure," I said as he walked by me. The only reply I received was the murmuring heartbeat of his human host. He was masking his hosts smell. I was grateful yet angered by his assumption concerning my control. He felt I lacked it. Angels had a scent of their own, but more so it was the lack of one with a hint of vanilla. Castiel, on the other hand, smelt more like cinnamon. Curious.

"We have the book," Dean said as he took a seat in my armchair. My cheek twitched. I really did love that armchair and it was not like I had guests in many years. It was going to take a while to get his scent out of the fabric. I pushed the anger aside and focused on the task at hand.

"The spell is called Ortus," a soft female voice said as it wove through the air.

Sam and Deans' eyes flittered about the room, looking for the source of the voice but they could not see her.

It seemed only I could, through some connection through her daughter. Even Castiel could not see her. She was in a place where even he could not reach as she no longer lingered on the ghostly plane but roamed somewhere completely different and unreachable.

"Do not worry. That was just Alaina, Keaira's mother, offering her help. Thank you Alaina," I said as I took the worn book out of Castiel's hands. It was smaller than I expected. It was a bit bigger than A5 and was covered in worn black leather. It looked like it had seen better days but I guess that is just the scars of her travelling about, avoiding those that hunted her. Quickly, I flicked through the pages until the page with Ortus in huge cursive writing caught my eye.

"Found it; we are going to need some Mistletoe, Myrrh, Butterfly weed, Aloe leaves, Bloodroot paste, Boneset flowers, Spruce needles, Vervain flowers and most importantly her blood." I read aloud as I skimmed over the potion recipe.

"That is just peachy. How are we going to get that stuff?" Dean asked.

"Especially her blood since, have you not noticed, she is dead? Sam said.

"Do not worry about her blood, Sam. I am sure Malik here has a solution for that. Don't you?" Castiel replied as he tried to stare me down.

I knew what he was getting at, seeing as she was my first blood. Again with the hostility. Who would have thought Angels would be so judgemental? I met his stare full on.

"As I matter of fact, I have thought about obtaining potion ingredients and the issue of the blood. There is a shop not too far from here which should have all of the ingredients we need. It has been shut for a while but the owner is still there and keeps stock and supplies under the radar as it is no longer safe. Shall we leave?"

"Sure," Dean replied. We left, got into their black Impala and drove off as per my instructions. It was not long before we had reached our destination.

We walked around to the back entrance. I knocked on the door twice, paused and then knocked again a further three times. The deafening sounds of the heavy bolts being pulled away met my ears as the door began to slowly open.

"Oh it is you, Malik. With some friends I see," Crystal stated as she opened the door.

"Yes. This is Sam and Dean Winchester and Castiel," I said as I walked through the door, looking around and grabbing the various items for the potion off jars along the shelves.

"We need to make a potion. To save Keaira. Would you allow us to use your equipment and ingredients?"

"Whatever you need," she replied as her tie-dyed gypsy skirt fluttered around her. "I will make some drinks. If it is the spell I think you mean it is going to be a long night."

Timing was crucial to this potion. Things had to be put in a certain order and simmer or cooled for a certain amount of time. It was going to take all night and all the help I could get. Castiel, Sam and Dean ran around for me; collecting ingredients, boiling them, freezing them, whilst I mixed the delicate concoction. The last ingredient needed for the potion was Keaira's blood. That was the hardest part which could ensure failure or success.

"The last ingredient; her blood," Sam said as he wiped his forehand with his palm.

I looked at Castiel. "Can you be sure that it will work?"

"Your blood in essence is her blood so I assume so," he replied as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Can someone tell what on earth you are talking about?" demanded Dean.

"As you can probably guess I am a vampire, as you would call it. In my past and Keaira's future, she will be the first blood I consume. This creates a bond between us, if you may. Her blood was... _is_ the template for my blood. So in theory her blood is my blood."

"That is not something you hear every day," Dean replied.

"It is the best shot we have got," Sam said.

I reached for the knife that Crystal was already holding out for me. I proceeded to slide it across my palm. I could barely feel the blade.

"How much is needed?" I asked.

"A few drops should be enough," Sam replied as he looked at the book.

I placed my cut palm over the mixing pot which was frothing and I squeezed my wound allowing a few drops of my blood into the potion. Nothing happened. We waited and mixed.

Suddenly, it began bubbling over and emitting a purple smoke that smelt like the fresh woodland air. It was done. We could only hope that it would work. We each in turn blessed it. Maybe collectively we hold more power and more luck.

Within my bones, I felt the nearing of sunrise approaching. I could feel myself succumbing to the darkness slowly. It was edging through my vision; trying to pull me under. I turned and looked at Crystal and she immediately understood.

"Go in the walk-in closet in the guest room. It is darkest there during the day. I will get you some blankets to cover up, just in case. You guys are welcome to crash here also. It is not like she is going anywhere, plus you need to rest up. Getting to her is not going to be easy." She advised.

With her permission, I went away and slept for the day. Ready to arise and fulfil my task and save the girl who was not meant to have been born yet; who was not meant to have died quite yet.


	27. Rebirth

We had to go to where she had died. None of us exactly knew the exact location as...well I have never been there and Sam and Dean were suddenly transported there. Castiel was not able the help us, as with all his angelic powers he could not sense it as Lucifer had shielded it. All that was left to rely on was my blood tie with her and hopefully the magical presence of her mother could enhance this.

We gathered together in Crystal's living room; checking our supplies of the potion, swirling purple in their tiny glass vials, waiting. Sam and Dean checked their inventory of weapons, making sure that they were prepared for any attack. The only thing that was missing now was... Castiel. Speak of the Angel; he appeared in the middle of the room, slightly dishevelled.

"We should go quickly. The demons are in a buzz of activity and have been summoned. We need to go whilst they are distracted." Castiel replied before I could even word my question. I sighed. I was afraid that it would not work. What if it was not meant to be?

"I think we should hurry." Castiel says as he turns to look at me as if he knows my doubts. I quickly shut my eyes to block out his look and try to focus on Keaira's voice, her essence. I called it closer and felt it raising just below the surface, waiting. It wanted to be rejoined with her.

"We should get a hold of one another", I said as I could feel the power raising and the warmth of her blood spreading around my body. It was pulling to be reunited with her; sharing our desire. Together, we were pulled to where her body lay to rest. Or what remained of her.

It took us a second to orientate ourselves. My vision blurred and my body felt as though it had been forced through a solid wall, disassembled and put back together again. My hand attempted to massage my throbbing temple and ease the pain but failed. Dean groaned beside me. It was good to know I was not the only one suffering such effects.

"Does anybody know where we are?" I asked

"This is where Keaira died", Castiel replied looking around the dingy roof of the cave. My eyes flittered around taking in all the details. They finally settled on her body in the middle of the room. I felt drawn to it. Upon a slab that reached mid way in comparison to my body, she lay entombed within thick frosted crystal. Waiting. Slowly, I walked towards her. Blood calling blood.

Death; something I have yet to experience and almost did those many years ago. It was too permanent well it was usually; hopefully not in this case. It was not her time. I trailed my fingers along the edge of the crystal; waiting for a sign of life, anything to back up the hope that this would work.

A deep cough brought me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see that it was Sam.

"You ready?" Dean asked. I nodded as I proceeded to get the potion out of my jacket pocket. I unscrewed the lid and closed my eyes as I poured it upon the crystal. Smoke began to rise and tickled my face causing me to open my eyes and step back.

The deep purple almost black liquid seeped into the crystal, invading every little crack; seeking its way to its intended patient. The crystal began to bubble and fade away causing more smoke to rise. We looked on in wonder and hope. The liquid penetrated her decay flesh and reversed the decay; giving it new life. There she was the same old Keaira we recognised only her skin still held a tinge of grey. We looked at each other in panic. What if it was not enough? We waited. I held my breath.

Colour slowly started filling her legs; passing up past her white gown and filling her arms and then up to her checks. I edged closer, daring my eyes to change the story that they see before them. Her eyeballs fluttered underneath her tanned eyelids. Her short curly golden brown hair, now longer, was sprawled across the rocky slab. A few curls were caught across her cheek, I gently brushed them away and her eyes flittered open. We were all stunned into silence at our success. Her hazel eyes stared at us; taking us all in.

"Hi guys", she said her voice husky from the lack of use.


	28. Awakening

_A/N We are back to Keaira's POV now that she is back and all._

The last thing I was expecting to see was the innocent. One moment I was trapped in the eternal darkness of the in-between, the next I was being dragged, not physically, back to the cave where I met my end, through my own fault, really. Dying at eighteen does tend to make one grumpy. Was I really that young? I felt so old and burdened. I inwardly sighed as I thought it was time to wake up.

My eyes flickered from the innocent to Sam and Dean and Castiel. It did not feel like a dream yet I was having trouble believing I was back. Death was supposed to be permanent. The order of things has long since changed since the darkness began consuming us all. At least in death, I was safe if not free.

Well, now is a good time as any to get up and get going. I was brought back for a reason. I pushed my palms against the cold rough slab and shifted my weight onto it. I, then, attempted to pull myself up. My arms swayed underneath this new pressure after being inactive for so long. Pain shot up my arm causing my elbows to tingle and spread up. I kept forcing myself up and was completing absorbed with conquering my weakened limbs. My wrists could no longer support my weight and slipped beneath me causing my head to slip back, too quickly.

Before I could even think to prepare myself for the impact, strong hands slipped behind my back and supported me as they raised me up. I looked at the innocent whose name was still a mystery to me. His black feathery hair was flicked in numerous directions, covering his eyes partially. His golden amber eyes were mesmerising; flickering firelight crackling hints of blue and green.

Somebody far off coughed. I blinked my eyes and broke out of the trance. My eyes turned to see that it was Dean. I should have known, I thought smiling to myself.

"Erm Sorry", I whispered. Talking hurt my throat; felt like sandpaper was being scraped across the inside and it tingled too much. I focused on my legs and willed them to move. They twitched. Great, just great, I thought as I sighed to myself.

The innocent quickly moved around whilst holding me up and moved my legs over across the slab so they were now dangling over the side. It was like he read my mind. That was weird.

"What's your name again?" I asked awkwardly, wincing at the pain.

"Malik", he replied eyes twinkling, with a hint of a smirk threatening to expose itself.

"Why..."

"Are we here? Waking you up? More specifically me?" he finished for me. I nodded; trying not to get freaked out.

"The situation has gotten worse since your untimely demise." Castiel inputted.

"Basically, we need your help", Sam added.

"You were not meant to die, not yet", replied the innocent, no Malik. That was going to take some getting used to. I noticed how he did not explain his part in all of this and I was suspicious of his role in all of this. What were his motives?

"You can trust Malik, Keaira. Deep down, you know you can and already do." Castiel stated.

He was right. I hate it when he is right. I really did miss his straight-to-the-point ways. What was next for us?


	29. Suffocation

Returning from the dead in all is kind of strange. You see you have all this pent up energy that you have to burn and you cannot do that by sleeping. Sam and dean have not let me out of their sight since they helped resurrect me. It was cute in a brotherly kind of way but was starting to get a tad tedious. I mean all they were doing was planning and researching. No demon hunting. No travelling down the open road. The same motel for the past four days. I was itching to go out and work off that energy, to put it to good use.

It was late and time to sleep yet every time I awoke one of them was there already awake. It was getting to be very irritating. I was not a little child and granted I had died and everything there really was not much else to fear. I wrapped my duvet around me; to protect against the chill of the AC. Why of all places did we have to be in one of the hotter states? It was either too hot or too cold. Granted it was the most unlikely place He would find us. I mean we were in the sunshine state supposedly full of retirees. Not much to do but sleep.

Sleep took ages to come.

"Help us, Keaira. Help us," a very faint voice whispered through the night air. I immediately got up. Phoebe. That was her voice. They have been captured for months now. I have to find them. I mentally hit myself for being so stupid and selfish. How could I have forgotten about them? Those days that I have wasted since my resurrection could have been better spent trying to find them and those others who were missing especially after regaining use of my limbs.

I looked around the small room and saw that Sam was asleep in the bed in the far corner. Dean was sitting in a chair reading an old book. Probably another one about Hellholes. Nothing was working or helping. You cannot kill the devil no more than you can destroy God or gods. He is part of the universal balance.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Dean asked over his shoulder.

"I could not sleep. Wrong climate" I said as I walked closer to him. I could not tell him of my plans. He would only stop me and tell me it was too dangerous and to wait. I just had the feeling that time was running out for them and something was coming. There was a fear weighing heavily in the pit of my stomach. I did not have the time to meet their resistance. As I approached dean I put my hand upon his shoulder and willed him to sleep.

"Sorry" I said. He looked up at me just before his head lolled to the side.

I needed supplies. I cannot go to the Halliwell manor as it was under lock and key so was mine. Though since I am 'dead' maybe it was easier to get into. I changed into my jeans and grabbed my jumper. I looked over Sam and thought that to be on the safe side I should make sure he stays asleep for a while. I brushed my hand along his arm and willed him to stay asleep. I grabbed the motel paper and pen from the table and began writing them a note.

_Sorry guys. Time was running out and I did not have time to explain or fight it out with you. I need to help some friends and I can feel their time shortening. Beware something is coming whether for you or me or them I do not know. Just be careful. If you need me just call out my name. Hopefully, I will not be long._

_Keaira_

I left the note on the table; sticking out under the book Dean was reading. I straightened up his head and covered him with his blanket.


	30. Malik and Castiel

_A/N I apologise for taking so long lately. I have many reasons but would not want to waste your time with them. This story is approaching the end, approximately 4 more chapters to go after this. Well, that are planned and partially written. They will probably be as long as this maybe longer and hopefully will be up within the next few days. Anyway enjoy and review if you so wish :D I am sorry if this seems too long also… Seems like a sorry night today. Oh Merry Christmas all! _

I orbed out to my street and looked up at my window of my flat. I hoped my magic was shielded enough for him not to find. I was going to have to be careful when using my magic. It looked quiet from here. The dim lights of the neighbouring buildings lit up the wide empty street. Too quiet. I did not have time to waste. I walked up to the doorway and turned the doorknob. It was locked. Not that was unusual as such. It seemed too normal considering our current predicament, the missing people, weird disasters and Lucifer taking over.

I looked around the street, out of habit and no one was about. My hand hovered over the doorknob and waited until I heard the clicking of the lock mechanism. Every time I had to use my magic, it increased my fear of being caught and found. I walked into the lobby. The front desk was empty as expected yet it just wrong. The desk was always staffed by the same two people; a middle-aged women with a booming laugh that filled the lobby and a lovely old gentlemen with many stories to share. What had become of them? I slid my hand around the side of the desk; then I looked at my fingertips. Dust; no one had been here in a while.

I walked around to the other side and found the numerous flat keys upon the hooks hidden from the publics' view. My eyes scanned the labels until they settled upon 14G. I quickly grabbed the keys and began walking towards the elevator but a speck of doubt prevented me from continuing. It just did not seem safe or smart; more likely to become trapped. I have had enough of that so I chose to go up the stairs instead. As I began my way up, I thought to myself why did I choose a flat on the 14th floor.

The annoying thing, besides having to sweat your way up, climbing up fourteen flights of stairs gives you way too much time to think. In my eighteen years, well almost nineteen including my death period, I had seen too much been through so much yet I have always powered on. Never able to have the chance to slow down and look at the world around that we were trying to save. The lives that was lost. My child. Mentally, I shook such thoughts from my mind. If allowed to develop they could have been paralysing. The kind of thoughts that creep up on you at the dead of night when you are alone, that can shock you to your very core. As I have not been sleeping since I was back, now would have been appropriate for such paralysing thoughts to attack me. I reigned in my thoughts and power walked my way up that last few flights of stairs.

Slowly, I approached the doors that would lead into the main corridor outside the doors into the individual flats. I leant against the coolness of the wall, attempting to regain my breath before checking to see if the coast was clear. After my breathing and heart rate had returned to somewhat normal levels, I slowly walked through the double doors as quietly as I could. I tiptoed until I reached the edge of where the wall turned off into a corner. From here, if I peeked around the corner I would have a good view of the corridor and my flat door as well as having cover, in case there was someone else there. Leaning as close to the wall as possible, I turned my head past the corner to have a look around. Inwardly, I groaned as I saw the burly men outside of my flat. Just my luck as usual!

To fight or to flee? That was the question. Every second I waste is another second where their lives are still endangered. Where their children are further subjected to a hostile environment. Leaving would only waste more time. I needed those supplies. I needed to find them and save them. Deep down, guilt gnawed at me. How could I have forgotten them? I turned; preparing myself for the fight that was to happen. For the can of worms that could potentially be opened. I attempted to step out but before I could reveal myself, something pulled me back. I turned to face them, ready to attack and defend myself. I was being shaken.

"What do you think you are doing?" Malik whispered whilst shaking me, causing my growing hair to flicker over my eyes. I really needed a haircut, I thought as he dragged me back to the stairs.

Looking at his iron grip on my arm, I said through gritted teeth " You can let me go now".

"Are you trying to get yourself killed…again?" he said quietly

"No. I need to go into my flat. It is simple as that"

"To get supplies?"

"Yes"

"To save the Halliwells"

"Could you please stop doing whatever you are doing? Reading my thoughts and what. It is frightening and extremely irritating." I said my voice escalating slightly.

"Ssssh" he said covering my mouth with his hand. " Do you want to get caught?"

The temptation to lick his hand like a child was too great. His eyes widened in surprise, then he laughed. A deep chuckle.

"Who should be quiet now?" I said as I covered his laugh with my hand and looked around to check that no one was coming. He grabbed my wrist and began to pull me down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I whispered, not bothering to resist.

"My place. I have supplies. I will explain everything then"

"But…"

"You trust me, right"

I sighed. Yes, I thought, the question was why when I have been given little reason to. I followed my feelings and went with the flow.

The view from the window was the same, peaceful and tranquil. It was as if nothing has changed the past few months. No evil, no corruption tainting its beauty.

"You want answers?" he asked as he leaned against the mantel of the fireplace, avoiding looking at me.

"They would be most helpful, yes", I said as I turned to continue looking through the window.

I heard his sigh behind me and the ruffling of his hair, or at least that was what I had assumed.

"We are connected"

"Yeah, I worked that out." I replied.

"Your future and my past are tangled together. You basically are my first blood. Consumed blood as a newborn vampire. Which explains the bond that we share. "

"That is why you can hear my thoughts when few others can."

"Yes"

Silence settled between us. It was not awkward just quiet. I did not know how to take such news so I displaced it for a time when the clock was not running out for my friends.

"You said you had supplies", I said.

"I did", he said as he turned to face me with sadness glittering in his eyes. "We can prepare for the assault but before we go you promise to get some rest? You may not feel tired but I do. And you are not going without me. That is not up for argument."

I sighed. I knew he would hinder me if he so wishes. I really needed those potions as support since I was going low key on my powers. We spent the rest of the day and all of the night preparing. A plan was established, a location was found, and potions were made.

"I am going to sleep. Please do not wander off and rest up. We are going to attack tomorrow evening. Do not do anything idiotic", Malik said before retiring to his room.

I paced up and down the living room, pondering over what I should do. I was not ready to sleep just yet, mentally or physically. My mind kept going over what Malik said earlier about our connection. If it were not for Castiel, I would not have met him. He must have known. He did know. That would explain the hostility towards him but why ensure our meeting. That sneaky so and so.

"Castiel! Get your butt here now!"

"Yes, Keaira. Why did you so eloquently call?" he said as he appeared in Malik's armchair.

"Can't a girl miss her guardian angel?"

Castiel blankly stared at me as he crossed his legs, seemingly getting comfortable.

I wondered where to start.

"I am sorry Castiel, for being such a pain about everything." He looked surprised. Not everyday you manage to shock an angel. " You are one sneaky angel though. Causing the meeting between Malik and I."

"It was meant to happen. You were supposed to get a premonition on your own but you did not at first because of Lucifer's influence. Later on, I had to give you some encouragement and then ensure you had the premonition, to allow that meeting to happen and even that did not happen as it was meant to. The demons were not supposed to interfere."

"I am not angry. I understand"

"Dying has matured you" Inwardly I laughed at his words. Always so blunt and honest was Castiel. Refreshing yet awkward at times.

"You plan to save the Halliwells?"

"Yes. Does everyone know?" I replied.

"Not yet they do not. So execute your plan quickly." He said as he got off the armchair. He walked towards me, his eyes searching my face. " Your mind needs rest even if your body does not yet". He placed his first two fingers on my forehead. "Sleep well", he said as I fell into his arms.

Disjointed dreams haunted me. I could hear that haunting voice, his haunting voice in my nightmares. Lucifer still plagued my existence and will continue to until he is out of this world. I remember the dark cold place where I was confined during the time of my death. Noises of the past haunt me. Fragmented pictures. Blood. A baby's cries. Darkness.


	31. Rescuing the Charmed ones

_A/N Thank you pineapple8193 for the help :P Thank you guys for reading :D Happy New Year!_

They wouldn't give up the prisoners without a fight. They were ready to rage war on their own front steps. I knew I shouldn't have gone back and saved the rest. Then maybe we would have been able to leave without being detected. He will find me. I am not ready to confront him. I know that it was cowardliness that was talking but I couldn't help it.

If it is a fight they want then it is a fight they shall get. At least, this way we stand a chance of surviving. The group was staring at me, wondering why I had suddenly stopped. I called them all together and explained what was waiting for us in the distance. They began to panic and lose all hope. Their thoughts screamed fear and loss of control and it was clouding up my mind. I had to get them to stop. I needed to think. I tried to raise a mental barrier blocking me from their thoughts. And it worked to some extent. They were quieter like background noise. I pulled Piper, Phoebe and Paige to the side and explained to them what I had in mind.

"Guys, quiet. We don't have much time. We going to have to try and fight them. Those, who are not young, with offensive powers come forward."

About 30 stepped up. I led them to the front next to Piper. The children were standing too close to the front. They were in a small group surrounded by the oldest one who was a girl of 16.

"What is your power?' I asked her.

"Shielding and telekinesis", she replied.

"Your job is to protect the children, and lead them to safety" she seemed to exhale with relief at the thought of not joining in the fight.

I turned to face the oncoming swarm ahead. The battle had begun.

Angry shouts and flames flew through the air. Bright lights flew all around hoping to hit their targets. I pulled my athame out of the lining of my long boots. I aimed for the neck of a demon fast approaching the children. On impact, the demon burst into flames, leaving a trail of ashes behind to be absorbed into the earth. I called my weapon backed to me and it flew into my hands. Piper blasted away at the demons near her, whilst Paige and Phoebe hit them with potions, spells, everything they had. Malik raged against them using the agile strength of his kind. Most demons were not well trained in hand-to-hand combat so that played largely in our favour. I grabbed the nearest demon to me and turned his neck from left to right; watching as her lifeless body fell to the ground and crumbled away. I flinched as an energy ball skimmed my shoulder. At least the tougher demons had not shown up otherwise we would have been in deeper water. We were outnumbered and favour was not on our side.

A wave of fear and cold overwhelmed me; something was coming, He was coming. I turned around and ran to the group of children.

"We have to get them out of here. Take them far away... No wait a second" I said as I realised my voice could barely be heard over the battle.

_Phoebe, Paige, Piper, we need to get everyone out of here and I have an idea of how. Get everyone here now. We are going to have to be quick before the demons reach us._

They managed to rustle up the group together as fast as they could. Many were injured but they would live to see another day if we got out of this before He arrived.

"Quickly, everyone form a ring around the children and hold each others' hands. We are going to have to share power."

"I call you Mercury, god of travellers,

Take us away from this godforsaken battle,

Keep us from danger, protect us from harm,

We call to you with this travelling charm."

There was a niggling doubt at the back of my mind. Something I had forgotten or someone. I cursed as I asked myself where did Malik get to?

I could feel the power of the circle rising and the heat of the magic around us. I had to stay. I had to find him. It would be cruel of me to leave him against so many demons especially with no warning when there is something I could do. As I felt the circle prepare to leave, I broke out of the chain as they were transported out. At least they were alive and safe. But where had they been sent?

Walking over the scattered corpses of the demon hosts and the dust of their departed essences, I searched for Malik. The surviving demons were too busy tending to their wounds and trying to salvage what was left of their wounded pride. Meanwhile, the feeling of terror grew and grew within my heart, filling me with dread.

"Goodbye, witch", a voice whispered in my ear as something cold made contact with my neck. Pain struck me instantly as the blade passed over my throat. My last thought as I gasped for some air was Oh no, not again.

Not the darkness. Not again. Voices of the past flittered by. Trying to help me remember something that would aid me. But what? Vivid colourful images flittered before me but escaped before I could acknowledge their significance or meaning. Something pulled at me, dragging me back. It saved me from the darkness at least for now.

Gasping for breath, I awoke lying upon the gravel. I touched my neck, to check that I had really been sliced and died. I could feel a faint line where the huge gash should have been and my neck was sticky with blood, my blood. My eyes scanned the place, checking that I was really there. Well, that is not something that happens everyday. Being resurrected once is rare but coming back from the dead twice, that was a different ball game. I was just happy to be away from the darkness but at what price?

A deep cough interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see the demon of my nightmares, literally, Lucifer. Life seemed to be treating him well. His skin had an odd glow giving off an air of arrogance. His strong defined jaw looked relaxed yet his eyes spoke a different tale. A storm was brewing in his eyes. Dark swirling clouds consumed all. I averted my gaze, not wanting to fall into that trap again. His hand reached out towards me, aiming to help me up. I looked at it and then proceeded to try and get myself off the hard gravel. My arms slipped and I fell back onto the gravel. I sighed and decided to lay back and enjoy the view of the clouds.

"Always so stubborn", stated Lucifer, in his silky alluring voice. The clouds were very nice. I was not going to let him pull my focus. I could sense him moving and he leant over me blocking the view. He gripped my arm tightly and pulled me up. I refused to use him as a support and as he let go my legs almost buckled. He quickly grabbed my arm again.

"Did you believe that you could hide the fact that you were back?"

I shrugged as much as I could anyway with him gripping my arm. Fear was not something I wanted him to see in me. He looked around at the wreckage left from the battle. Then he looked at me, it was as though he was searching my face, my mind. I felt as though he could see deep into my consciences and it made me feel vulnerable. I tried to focus on the victory of part of the demonic army we faced being destroyed.

" Those demons did not matter, Keaira." he replied to my thoughts. He proceeded to wind his arm around my waste to support me. I grumbled in protest but he just tightened his grip.

"Look", he demanded. Blood began leaving the bodies that were scattered across the plane of gravel. Slowly, in thin lines, it moved like raindrops slithering down the windowpane. They ran off separately from the bodies and began to join together. They were being drawn to the same place. Beyond us, at the edge of the small hill, lay a field. The blood went towards the middle of the field and began swirling as a circle and then 3 lines broke off the circle. These lines began branching out. I recognised it as his symbol, the one that was previously burnt into my shoulder.

"You see I am strong without them. Stronger then I was. Earth is my playground, demons and humans my toys. In time, you will join me again but it is not time yet." He said as he released me from his grip and disappeared; leaving me with my whirlwind thoughts. Incidentally, as soon as he let me go, I fell onto the hard gravel, grazing me knees. Just my luck, I thought.

I let out a frustrated groan. " Are you alright?" shouted Malik from across the way.

"Where have you been?" I asked angrily

"Searching to see if anyone was left inside. Speaking of which, where is everyone?"

"Safe for now, could you please give me a hand?", I asked feeling like a defenceless child. He gave me a questioning look.

"I will explain later", I said. He shook his head and climbed over the bodies to help me up. As he supported me and we left the scene, I glanced back to find that the blood symbol had been soaked into the soil. I sighed and thought I really needed to get out of the here, out of the country. I needed a plan, we needed to win and soon.


	32. Rampage

_Sorry for the long wait __ This is nearing an end and the next chapter will be in two parts. This is part a of 32 as I wanted this to be 33 chapters (Which it will be) but the last two are quite long. _

"Are you sure about this?" Dean asked as I finished packing provisions into the back of my truck.

"Yes, there are some things that I have to do before I prepare to plan an attack. I need to get out of ground zero and see the carnage for myself."

"And you can't tell us your plans because…?" Sam inquired.

"Lucifer may find out. No one can know but me just yet. It is not the right time. I will contact you when it is with the details", I said as I leaned against the black door of my pickup. I mentally checked that I had everything ready. Looking around, I took in my surroundings. "I guess this is goodbye"

"For now", Dean cut in.

"I know you guys are not the huggy type but…" I trailed off as I embraced Dean and then proceeded to hug Sam.

"Take care; do not let the dark consume you. It will be over soon." I whispered in Sam's ear out of Dean's earshot.

I got into the driver seat on the left and got the car started and into gear. Off I hit the open road as I put my shades on. It was going to be a long journey out of the state of New York and to London, Ohio where I had arranged to meet Malik, outside the danger zone. Over 10 hours straight; it would give me time to come up with a plan.

Along the drive, I noticed something very peculiar…in Manhattan; the trees in the parks were dying yet the ones just outside the city were luscious and green. It was almost like they were luring passersby in yet telling them of their impending danger once trapped and unable to escape.

After 4 hours of the open road, I stopped to get hot food for my rumbling stomach. I stopped at his old style diner and sat in one of the corner booths. I lurked in the shadows and tried to keep a low profile, to blend in. after ordering, I sat back and closed my eyes focusing on the energy around me. Suddenly, there was a small ripple in the air disturbing the balance.

"Hello, Keaira." I opened my eyes to see Castiel. I shushed him.

"Jeez, Cas. You know how to freak a person out. I am trying to keep it low key."

"I know, the boys told me which is why I waited until you were out of Lucifer's home domain before contacting you. He has caused quite a stir in the past few days. He is planning something."

"Yeah, he is. There have been whispers in the dark but nothing solid yet." I said as the waitress came with the food. "Thank you", I said as she left. I eyed the food wearily. All this paranoia was not good for a person but I could never be sure. Castiel noticed my look.

"Do not worry. It is fine", he said indicating towards the food.

"Is it just me or is it that the further you get away from his zone, the more people there are?" I asked as I observed the busy bustle of the diner.

"Yes but that is not the case in the major cities where he has full control in most of the states. It is now spreading across the seas"

"Great!" I said as I began eating my warm soft fries. "Want any?" I offered Castiel.

"No, thank you", he replied. "I hear you plan to go against Lucifer."

I nodded. "Any ideas?"

"He cannot be destroyed by mortal weapons"

"Would the angel sword work on him?"

"Unlikely as he has rejected his kind."

"In any case, could you please get one for me?" I asked.

"Why?"

"Just trust me". Reluctantly, he agreed.

"You have a plan". Well of sorts I did. I nodded and said simply, "He is going to hell and is staying there."

Malik looked at me and asked once again. "Are you sure you want to go there?"

"Yes. To England, please, Pilot." I guess living for so long allows one to acquire some handy skills such as being able to fly a small private plane. One advantage of Lucifer's reign was the extended hours of darkness, which were playing in our advantage for the moment. The flight would be a good 8 hours and we had set off as soon as the sun had set, so we had time to travel straight there after landing. I sighed and leaned back. My body may not need the sleep but my mind needed and welcomed the break. It was a peaceful and deep sleep aided by Malik's presence.

"Why are we here again?" Malik asked.

"As Alaina lived here as a child and it is my ancestral home"

He nodded. On the skirts of Windsor, we reached the huge estate that lay in the depths of forest. He had insisted on driving, being a traditionalist and everything.

"For a long time, I felt trapped and out of control but I can breathe freely here and I hope it stays that way so we can prepare for the perilous times ahead", I said as I lay back content and Malik approached the driveway.

After he had parked, we got out of the car and walked toward the impending oak doors. I brushed my fingers along the door handle and the locking mechanism clicked, opening the door. It creaked due to the lack of use and opened slowly. Malik looked at me surprised. His left eyebrow was slightly raised. His face was bemused. He looked softer... almost human.

"Alaina's family, my family warded this place well but allowed to passage to their bloodline without the hassle of a key", I said with a hint of a smile, proud of the family that I never really got to know.

We walked in, our footsteps echoing across the wooden floors. Dust had settled across the wooden floors, over the wooden banisters, along the stairs, dust had settled everywhere. Our steps left a ghostly trail through the tinged grey dust. I decided to sort out the bedrooms whilst Malik cleared out the living room and make it suitable enough for us and clean the kitchen.

After using precious hours of the night, we were finished. Malik had even lit the old fireplace. I lounged back in the armchair right besides the detailed woodened fireplace and enjoyed the warming air that wrapped around me. It had been so long since I had endured weather this cold.

"This is not as bitter as Victorian winter", Malik said as I shivered. That was the first time he had mentioned time periods when referring to his mysterious past.

I envisioned the crowded bustling streets, markets selling hot pies and the light snow covering the cobbled street like dusting of icing sugar. "I wish I could have been there", I said as I imagined the winter wind causing the fresh snow to tumble down faster.

"You were"

Silence fell. I wondered how and when but that would open another can of worms that was not ready to be let out yet. Though I still wanted to ask but knew I should not.

"Does our connection work mentally?" I asked. "I know you can hear my thoughts but can it be more of a reciprocal thing? Which can communicate over long distances?"

"Possibly", he replied.

Time to test out a theory. I tried opening my mind and emptying it of all other thoughts.

"Shield your thoughts, please"

I could physically feel a barrier enclose his mind. It caused tingles to crawl up my arm. Focusing on a single word _hello_, mentally I pushed it to Malik. It easily passed through the barrier. He smiled. _Hello to you, also_, silky words that brushed through my thoughts.

"I assume that there is some reasoning to this", he said deciding to stick the conventional way of communicating.

"Just a theory but would prove extremely useful especially as I have it on good instinct that Lucifer cannot interfere with the bond as it is ancient blood magic of pure. ", I replied.

"A birdie told you?"

"Castiel did" His initial reaction was that of mistrust but he was quick to mask it.

"I do not know what your history with him is but I happen to trust him"

"That is not to issue." He sighed and looked down, causing his fluffy black hair to fall over his eyes like a curtain. "Keaira, I know what is to come. I am the only one and I know this trough you, the future you. I am powerless to change what is to be"

That did not sound good. Did that mean we would fall and fail?

"Do not worry the greater good is maintained at a price", he said with a bitter edge to his voice. He looked up at me, his eyes seemed glazed over: the golden flickers no longer seemed to dance but mourning what was lost.

A bittersweet relief washed over me. Relief at the fact things would be all right but worry at the price. I pondered and chewed over this thought. I barely noticed as Malik got up and walked towards me. Gently, he placed his lips on my forehead; he then walked out the room and proceeded to make his ascent up the stairs. I looked up, ready to question him for his presumption but I did not have the heart. It felt right it felt comforting.

I projected to him _rest well_.

_Be careful, _he replied quietly yet the words echoed throughout my mind.


End file.
